The Mole 2: Anime Edition
by Gomamon
Summary: Twelve strangers compete in the ultimate mind game. They must work together to win up to one million dollars, but amongst them is a double agent secretly deceiving the others and sabotaging their efforts. Who is that traitor? Who is the Mole?
1. You Only Live Once, Part 1

**The Mole: Anime Edition 2.0**  
By: Gomamon

_**The Premise:**_  
_Twelve strangers must work together in order to win up to one million dollars. But working among them is a traitor, a saboteur, a Mole. One of these people is a double agent paid to deceive the others and sabotage their missions. The player that figures out who the Mole is and does the best job of tracking their every move wins the money. Who is the Mole?_

_**The Contestants:**_  
1.) **Amy** _(Sailor Moon)_  
2.) **Chiyo **_(Azumanga Daioh)_  
3.)** Conway** _(Pokemon)_  
4.) **Harima** _(School Rumble)_  
5.)** Kaname** _(Full Metal Panic!)_  
6.) **Keiichi** _(Oh My Goddess!)_  
7.) **Kyon** _(The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)_  
8.) **Marcus** _(Digimon)_  
9.) **Nami** _(One Piece)_  
10.) **Nodame** _(Nodame Cantabile)_  
11.) **Ogiue** _(Genshiken 2)_  
12.) **Satoshi** _(D.N. Angel)_

- - -

**EPISODE ONE: YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE **  
**(Part 1 of 3)**

* * *

**Day 1 - 7:45AM**

* * *

When Nami first sent in her application for _The Mole_, she was under the assumption that she would be competing against some of the brightest people across the world. This was supposedly an intense intellectual competition which challenges the players' wits and forces them to think outside the box. Physical strength, a beneficial characteristic in most reality television programs, was not as important as _mental_ strength. Thus, anybody can win this game as long as they were smarter than the rest. Nami, who saw herself as a considerably bright girl, felt curious about the calibre of her competition. Will she be competing against certified geniuses? Child prodigies? Some fancy schmancy award-winning scholars?

Sadly, it did not take long before Nami realized that she was surrounded by idiots.

Based on first impressions, she was certain that more than half of these people were completely stupid. The dumbest looking one also stood out the most. Marcus Damon, a muscular young man with long dishevelled brown hair, had been pacing back and forth for the past five minutes. Nami watched this interesting specimen walk around in circles, scowling at nobody in particular. Marcus looked like somebody who just broke out of an insane asylum, but had no idea where to go next. He was bursting with youthful energy and simply could not stay still. Verdict: This muscle-bound idiot would be lucky to even make it past the first round.

The other males did not seem like the sharpest bunch either. There was Harima, a bulky and bearded high school student whore sunglasses indoors. Verdict: What a dumbass. No chance of winning.

Then, there was Conway, who stood out right away with his thick-rimmed glasses and overall geeky persona. He was currently playing on his handheld gaming console. Verdict: Just an immature little kid. Not a serious contender.

Two of the men had fallen asleep in their seats. Kyon – the tall, skinny one – put his head down, with his hands folded across his chest, and was snoozing quietly. Keiichi, on the other hand, had his body sprawled across multiple chairs, with his mouth agape, and was snoring like a foghorn. Verdict: Dumb and dumber. Both were cannon fodder.

The only man who intrigued her was Satoshi Hiwatari, a strange looking boy with deep blue eyes behind a pair of wireframe spectacles. He was young, yes, but he also looked wise beyond his years. He definitely seemed more cunning than his male counterparts, in Nami's opinion. Unlike the other contestants, Satoshi looked very alert about his surroundings. He had shifty eyes, as if he was concealing an unmentionable secret. Verdict: A likely threat. He seemed to take this competition seriously, which was more than what Nami can say about the others. She was sure that Satoshi will go very far, and possibly win the entire game.

All of a sudden, Satoshi turned around and stared at her direction. She flashed him a friendly smile, but he did not reciprocate the gesture. Feeling somewhat self-conscious, Nami averted her gaze to the travel brochure in her hands. A cheerful slogan caught her attention: _Welcome to Cerulean City, where a mysterious blue aura surrounds it!_

_Cerulean City_ – even the name itself sounded beautiful. According to the brochure, this popular vacation destination was the sunshine capital of northern Kanto, covered with sandy white beaches and lovely seaside scenery. However, the only view that Nami can see at the moment was a line of airplanes outside the window. Due to some unanticipated production difficulties, the twelve contestants were forced to remain inside the waiting area of the Cerulean City Airport, for at least the past forty five minutes.

Since most airport stores and restaurants were not opened for business yet, the building was still fairly deserted this early in the morning. Quite understandably, Nami was growing restless. To pass the time, she grabbed a ballpoint pen from her bag, flipped open her empty journal, and began scribbling down notes about her fellow competitors.

"His name is Sousuke, right?"

Giggle.

"Yeah, I don't know how to describe the two of us. It's, like, a complicated relationship…"

Another giggle.

Right away, Nami took notice of the chatty schoolgirls sitting across from her. They were Amy Mizuno, the pretty one with a short hairdo, and Kaname Chidori, the even prettier one with glossy long hair. Despite meeting just forty five minutes ago, the twosome had been chatting, giggling, and gossiping like the best of friends. While the players were forbidden from interacting with each other before the game started, these girls broke the rules anyway without being the least bit subtle. If their behaviour now was an early indicator, Nami feared how many more rules they will break in the near future.

The rest of the women looked just as clueless. Noda Megumi, better known for her pet name Nodame, was listening to music on her MP3 player. Sitting beside her, Ogiue was reading a manga. The youngest female, Chiyo, was eating a chocolate bar.

They all looked so simple. Nami couldn't detect a single genius amongst them.

A horrible realization suddenly dawned upon her. _If they're all so stupid, what does that make me?_ Although Nami never considered herself as a natural genius, she was still overwhelmed by the apparent stupidity of her competitors. Maybe it was a good thing that she was competing against stupid people. Then again, that might make her defeat all the more embarrassing if she lost to one of these morons.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Nami put down her pen and journal without writing a single word. She soon realized there was no need to take notes, because she cannot picture a possible scenario where she would be outsmarted by anybody here. Based on first impressions, her competitors were all hopeless dolts. Nami reassured herself that she definitely won't lose the game. Not against this pitiful bunch.

* * *

**8:14AM**

* * *

Misty Waterflower, former player of _The Mole: Pokemon & Digimon Edition_ and now hostess of _The Mole: Anime Edition_, entered the waiting area with a happy announcement. The production crew cleared their technical difficulties and were now ready to begin the first mission. Several players grinned in anticipation. They could already feel the adrenaline pumping in their blood!

Chika Ogiue, however, felt a few knots tied in her stomach. She saw the airplanes outside and assumed the worst. The university student had not revealed to anyone yet that she was deathly afraid of heights. And she wasn't the only person either.

"Oh god, let's hope we aren't jumping out of any planes today." Conway announced. He openly voiced his concerns to the group, whereas the more reserved Ogiue kept her insecurities bottled up inside. "I'm terrified of high places. They give me the heebie-jeebies."

"Just close your eyes and pretend you're in a dream." Nodame suggested.

"Are you kidding me!? You'll miss out on the amazing view if you don't open your eyes! Man, skydiving is going to be so awesome!" Marcus exclaimed enthusiastically.

"First rule of the game: don't jump to conclusions. Just because you're inside an airport, it doesn't mean there will be a skydiving mission." Misty said in her schoolmistress voice. She can be a stern host when the situation demanded one. "However, you guys are right this time. Your first mission does involve jumping off a plane." She relaxed into a gentler smile. "Before I give any further instructions, I'd like to have everyone's full attention. So…could someone please wake up Keiichi?"

Everybody turned their attention towards the young man, who was still lying on the chairs and snoring very loudly. How he could sleep through all the noise, nobody knew. Kaname gently jabbed him in the shoulder. No response. She pushed him more forcefully the next time. Keiichi jolted awake while mumbling something unintelligible. He also wiped some drool from his mouth, causing the girls to giggle. They had already dismissed him as the type of guy whom other men find harmless.

"Good morning, Keiichi. Are you awake now?" Misty smiled.

"Sorry. I'll start paying attention." Keiichi said, blushing.

The host returned her gaze on the other players. Dressed in a simple white blouse and a pair of snappy black dress pants, with her shaggy orangey-red hair hanging by her shoulders, Misty's appearance carried a distinct combination between partly feminine and partly tomboyish. She was a petite woman, but by no means was she fragile. Her physique was toned and athletic due to many years of swimming as a daily exercise routine. Perhaps the most prominent feature about Misty was the mail carrier bag she wore over her left shoulder. It was very massive, very (pastel) yellow, and very mysterious looking. In the days to come, the players will discover many of the game's biggest secrets were hidden inside that bag.

In fact, they were about to learn the most scandalous secret right now.

"First of all, there's an important issue I'd like to discuss," Misty explained. Her enigmatic expression did not waver as she spoke. "As we all know, the objective of this competition is to identify a saboteur within the group. However, no such person exists at the moment." She decided to paraphrase her message in simpler terms. "In other words, nobody here is the Mole…_yet_."

The twelve contestants did not know how to respond to that statement. They felt startled, to say the least. A few of them were caught off guard, because they had already picked out several obvious suspects based on first impressions and gut instincts. To discover these assumptions were completely wrong came as an unpleasant surprise to most people not to mention it was a harsh blow to their egos. They had been so certain about their intuition, but everybody was on an even-levelled playing field all along.

_You mean he's not the Mole after all?_ Nami stole a quick glance at Satoshi, who was listening intently to the instructions.

"We're going to choose the Mole right here, right now," Misty continued. She opened her carrier bag and pulled out a stash of envelopes. "I have twelve letters. One of them contains instructions to the first mission today. If you're the recipient of this letter, congratulations, you're randomly selected as the Mole."

Ogiue was not one of the people who smiled or gasped happily at the announcement. The poor girl just looked downright nervous. This wasn't how she imagined the game would begin. She thought the Mole would be predetermined by the production crew long before the actual competition started. Instead, the selection process will take place now, in front of the entire group, and the Mole's identity appeared to be a total crapshoot. Every player here had a one-in-twelve chance of becoming the coveted saboteur.

Unlike some contestants, Ogiue had no desire to be the Mole. She thought the role was too mentally stressful, and she did not perceive herself as a very good liar either. But ultimately, her destiny in this game was based on sheer luck. She could only hope that she won't be the unfortunate chosen one.

"The other eleven letters are identical." Misty explained, while waving the envelopes in the air. "They consist of short, two or three sentences, profiles about each contestant, including their name, age, occupation, and hometown. If you receive one of these letters, you're competing as a legitimate player, and you've the opportunity of winning up to one million dollars." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I will distribute these letters one by one. Please do not open them until I say so. And in fairness of the competition, I'd advise you not to show your letters to anybody else."

The host flashed a mysterious smile to the group.

"Good luck."

Amy Mizuno was the first person to choose an envelope, then her friend Kaname did the same, and the other players soon followed. When all twelve letters had been allocated, the contestants dispersed to different locations in the airport. Nobody read their letters until they were absolutely certain about their privacy.

Ogiue sat down on a nearby chair and ripped open her envelope. She slowly pulled out a single sheet of white paper. There were many mixed emotions going through her head right now – fear, anxiety, and desperation were all on the top of her list. As she unfolded her letter once and then once more, she muttered a quick prayer for good luck. _Please God, not me. I don't want to be the Mole._ Ogiue took a deep breath. She finally glanced down and scanned her eyes across the page. The first words she read were:

_To whom it may concern…_

* * *

**8:22AM**

* * *

From the moment **Kaname** stepped out of the airport, she did not believe there was a single honest competitor in this game. She wasn't an exceptionally sceptical person in real life, but the intuitive high school student had a gut instinct that she was surrounded by a bunch of liars. Technically, the chosen saboteur should be the only liar in the game, yet most human beings had a tendency to lie under certain circumstances. Put a million dollars at stake, and even the most moralistic people may show a dishonest side. In a competition based on deceit and greed, she was certain that nobody here will be telling the truth.

It was with this attitude that Kaname Chidori, aged seventeen, first approached her fellow competitors.

By the time she finished analyzing her letter, there was already a sizable group huddled outside of the airport, chattering among themselves. Before Kaname could greet them, she was quickly intercepted by the host. Misty collected her letter, took a brief glance at the contents, and smiled. That was the only communication they exchanged. It appeared to be a knowing smile, as if she was trading an inside secret between woman-to-woman. _Oh girl, I know what you know._ Kaname decided to say nothing. Afterwards, she joined the other seven contestants outside, while introducing herself to each person.

The usual pleasantries took place. Every introduction started with a casual 'hi' or a more formal 'hello. Hands were shaken, names were exchanged, and smiles were passed amongst everyone. Out of all the people she just met, Kaname was particularly fond of a guy named Kenji **Harima**. He was not much older than her, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years old, but there was something undeniably _cool_ about his appearance. The dark sunglasses, scruffy facial hair, and a rockin' black leather jacket all hinted to a bad boy at the core. In fact, most players already made early assumptions about the ex-delinquent high school graduate. He must be a notorious troublemaker! Or he must have a criminal record of some sort! However, Harima was a rather easygoing guy, and even a bit of a putz, once people got to know him better. He was hardly as intimidating as he looked, even though he could be a very intense competitor at times.

"Just so everyone knows, I'm not the Mole." Harima told the group early on. "You guys can trust me, I swear!"

"Yeah right." Kaname grinned, shaking her head in disbelief. If anything, that confession made him even more suspicious than before.

Two of the men, **Kyon** and **Keiichi**, were friendly enough, even if they seemed a bit unremarkable at first. One was tall, skinny, and wore a perpetually unenthusiastic expression on his face. The other was shorter, stockier, but also a lot more charming with his goofy grins and that cute dimple on his left cheek. Neither man stood out in the group, although Kaname noticed that the first guy would demonstrate a dry sense of humour every now and then.

The muscle-bound **Marcus** made a stronger impression on her, albeit in a negative way, because his abrasive mannerisms were already getting on Kaname's nerves. He was a bit too aggressive, a bit too rude, and a bit too eager to make his opinions known. She tried avoiding contact with him whenever possible. Perhaps she will grow to love the guy over time, but probably not, since her first impressions of people tended to last forever.

Kaname got along much better with the females. Bubbly Noda Megumi, or **Nodame** ("No-_da_-me!" She would repeat this until every person announced her name correctly), was all smiles and giggles from the start. The twenty-three-year-old pianist was currently studying abroad in France. She seemed infatuated with the brand new MP3 player around her neck, and it contained some classical melodies that nobody else had heard of before. Brahms who? Stravinsky who? Schubert, wasn't that some kind of dessert? Nodame felt awestruck at how little these people knew about her favourite hobby in the world. Then against, this was not the most musically inclined group of contestants.

**Nami** was an interesting character. Judging from the scars and tattoos all over her body, she appeared to be a fighter. Not just in the literal sense of the word, but this ruthless woman looked like she fought her way through a very difficult life. If Harima was the bad boy of the group (which he really wasn't), there was no doubt that Nami was the undisputed bad girl amongst the cast. _No doubts about it, she was one tough motherfu-_

Stopping in the middle of her thoughts, Kaname had to remind herself not to use such vulgar language around **Chiyo**, the youngest and tiniest player in the game. She was also the most adorable girl ever, but that went without saying. With her big round eyes and perky little pigtails, she pretty much epitomized the essence of all things cute. However, what made Chiyo endearing to so many people was her pleasant demeanour. Few people had ever met a girl as polite and well-mannered as her. The words 'please', 'sorry', and 'thank you' were the most commonly used in her vocabulary. She also showed no signs of superiority whatsoever which, considering her upbringing, was quite a feat.

"Don't let her pigtails fool you," Kyon smirked. "Chiyo just told us she's a university student…in America."

"So, you're one of those child geniuses?" Kaname raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just an ordinary girl. I'll be turning thirteen next month." Chiyo smiled modestly. She tried to play down her natural intelligence, which may come across as threatening to some people. "But I'm not really that smrat. I still have a lot to learn from everyone!"

Currently, there were four players absent from the group: Amy, Conway, Ogiue, and Satoshi. For whatever reason, they were still reading their letters inside the airport. It was Nami who first joked that the most 'suspicious' looking people took the longest time, but her observation was soon shared among several others. Nearly ten minutes had passed already, and it did seem strange that some people were still analyzing their short and straightforward letters.

Marcus had an interesting theory. He thought the letters were shady, and the people who took such a long time to read them were even shadier. In fact, he was almost ready to declare one of the absentees as the Mole, but that may be jumping the gun too quickly – even for an impulsive guy like him. Nonetheless, Marcus made it no secret that he trusted those four players the least.

"I think their letters might be different from ours!" Marcus exclaimed. He had a very loud and dominant voice. Whenever he spoke, nobody else could get a word into the conversation. "I'll be straight up with you guys. My letter had a bunch of profiles and that's it. Took me about a minute to read everything. I was the first one out of the airport." He folded his arms across his chest. "Why are they still inside? What the hell is there to read?"

"Maybe they wanted to memorize our profiles?" Chiyo suggested.

"Or maybe they're trying to memorize the instructions for our first mission." Marcus acted as if this was a dramatic revelation. "Ah, I bet _those_ letters would take a long time to read!"

At that point, Marcus forced the other players to reveal the contents of their letters. He wanted to make sure the Mole was somebody still inside the airport. While a few people were reluctant to share information, everybody soon admitted to receiving a normal 'civilian' letter. In other words, they all received identical message, which in theory should prove that none of them was a potential suspect.

Yet, there was also the distinct possibility that somebody could be _lying_. If the Mole already infiltrated their group, he or she had every reason to conceal their hidden identity. Kaname understood this fact early on, and she cannot believe the simple-minded Marcus overlooked such an important characteristic of human nature. Of course people will lie, duh! Nobody was going to admit they had the Mole's letter. The guilty party will just pretend that he or she received the same message as everybody else. Thus, this interrogation approach was a vigilant effort that ultimately accomplished nothing.

Kaname, however, remained quiet during the discussion. She didn't like speaking with Marcus, who was so opinionated all the time. Plus, she quite enjoyed watching the buffoon make a total fool out of himself. The more he spoke, the dumber he appeared.

"I know what you guys are thinking. This proves nothing, right?" Marcus looked very proud of himself at the moment. "But what if we ask really specific questions? Like, what's the last sentence in our letters? Anyone who can't answer correctly must be the Mole!" He snapped his fingers conclusively. "We can find out who the Mole is just like that!"

"There's a possibility your plan could work, but I highly doubt it."

The mysterious, monotonous voice originated from the fire escape exit. The players turned around and saw **Satoshi** Hiwatari, who was walking towards the group in slow but sturdy strides. Short, pale skinned, and dressed in black attire, he would have looked like an ordinary (if slightly melancholy) teenager had his biography not stated otherwise. He was _another_ child genius within the group. At the age of fourteen, Satoshi graduated from university with honours, and was made the chief commander of the police force. As his profile indicated, he was no ordinary teenager. He was certainly no ordinary competitor either.

Whereas Kaname was greeted with energetic smiles and laughter, the atmosphere changed drastically when Satoshi approached the group. Everybody fell silent, and some of them even looked a bit wary. It was because Satoshi carried an air of intelligence which, unlike Chiyo's natural genius, came across as very daunting. Yes, he was a smart guy, but everybody knew it. And most importantly, Satoshi knew it too. For that reason, these people had a difficult time trusting him. They thought he was a dangerous competitor. Or worse, they thought he made a very likely Mole.

"Sorry I took so long. I'm a meticulous reader." Satoshi seemed unaware of the hostility surrounding his presence. For all his analytical expertise, the teenager could never read people very well. He extended his hand towards Marcus, who reluctantly shook it. "Hello. My name is Satoshi Hiwatari, nice to meet you."

"Hey kid, what makes you think my plan won't work?" Marcus asked.

"Have you considered the scenario in which all of the letters are the _same_?" Satoshi scanned his eyes across the group. Judging by the blank looks on their faces, he could tell they had not thought about this possibility. Naturally, some of them didn't even understand what he meant at first.

"Huh?"

"What if the producers lied to us? What if the Mole was chosen prior to today?" Satoshi expanded on his answer. He spoke in a calm and quiet voice, which sounded very different from Marcus, yet it still accomplished a similar level of impact. Nobody could get a word into the conversation, but only because they were too busy listening to what Satoshi had to say. "This task was meant to cast unnecessary paranoia within our group, and it did exactly that."

Mumbles of excitement immediately scattered amongst the group. Everything seemed to make sense now. The competition was a glorified mind game after all, so of course the producers would pull off a stunt like this. The Mole may have been chosen long ago, which made these letters meaningless in essence. _Yeah, that must be the reason._ Several people nodded their heads to themselves. They were satisfied with this logical explanation. It made perfect sense, it comforted their anxieties, and it was good enough for them. _Hey, that Satoshi kid is pretty smart!_

Yet, Marcus did not back down from his stance. He was never one to admit that his opinions could be wrong.

"Hold on. Your theory sounds like one big convenient excuse." Marcus folded his arms across his chest, defensively. "What if you made up the whole thing just so we won't interrogate you about _your_ letter? What if you're trying to hide something from us?"

"That's also a possibility," said Satoshi.

"Tell us what's in your letter, or we won't believe a word you say!" Marcus exclaimed in an accusatory manner.

Then, Satoshi did something unexpected. He _smiled_. Those who were acquainted with the teenage genius in real life should know that he rarely ever smiled. And it was not just any typical smile either. This was a confident smile. A triumphant smile. A devious smile.

"Why would I want to do something like that?" Satoshi asked.

"Aha! So, you're not innocent!" Marcus exclaimed.

"You can think whatever you want about me. I don't mind." Satoshi continued smiling, which only infuriated Marcus even more. "I never said I was guilty or innocent. That's a judgment you'll have to make on your own."

Marcus did not have a proper rebuttal, as expected. Meanwhile, the other contestants stared at Satoshi with a mixture of different emotions. Some were amused, others felt in awe of him, and a few seemed to be genuinely terrified of his intellect. After all, they just witnessed a mental _smackdown_ on poor Marcus, who never stood a chance in this debate. Not once did the teenager lose his composure. Not once did he lose his train of thought. Not once did an uncalculated word or sentence leave his mouth. Although nobody knew how to describe it, there was something very eerie about Satoshi Hiwatari. He already established himself as a natural genius, a fierce competitor, and quite possibly the craftiest Mole ever.

In the end, there was no concrete evidence to determine whether Marcus or Satoshi was right. So, for the sake of harmony, the group decided to just let the matter rest.

Shortly after, **Amy** and **Ogiue** exited the airport one after the other. They were two of the quieter people in the group. In Amy's case, it was because she liked to think before she speaks. Ogiue, on the other hand, was just an introverted person. Either way, the contestants greeted both women with open arms. They were glad to have a change of pace after such a heavy discussion earlier.

Only one person remained in the airport afterwards. It took fifteen minutes after the letters were distributed for young **Conway** to join the rest of the group. He wore a somewhat tense smile on his face as he greeted his competitors, while apologizing for his prolonged absence.

"Sorry, I was in the washroom." Conway lifted his glasses suggestively and said nothing more.

The twelve contestants were reunited at last. While the conversations flowed and personal information was exchanged, nobody let their guards down for a single second. They remained constantly aware, constantly alert, and constantly on the lookout for suspicious behaviour. Eleven of them were legitimate players, who must work together in order to win up to a million dollars. But one person – the chosen one – will plot, scheme, and sabotage many upcoming missions, all in the name of the Mole.

* * *

**8:30AM**

* * *

When Misty felt certain all twelve letters were safely returned to her carrier bag, she approached the contestants with the next set of instructions. It was time to begin the first mission. First, the players were asked to divide themselves into two groups: men and women. Then, they will choose a representative from each group. Misty added that the chosen person should be a capable leader, or at least somebody who was courageous enough to lead by example.

Marcus volunteered for the position right away, no surprises there. The muscular man spoke up before anybody else had the chance to open their mouths. He was just the type of guy who would dive straight into danger without ever contemplating the situation or the consequences. Plus, he had that radiant energy about him. He looked like a leader, he spoke like a leader, and he acted like a leader. Marcus Damon was born a natural leader, which made this decision painfully predictable.

"I'm not certain if we should trust Marcus as the leader." Satoshi was the first and only person to oppose this self-elected candidacy. "From our discussion earlier, he seems like an impulsive individual who makes rather rash assumptions about his surroundings. It isn't the type of behaviour I'd attribute to a good leader."

"You…you…!" Marcus shook his fist at the teenager. He struggled with an adequate comeback. "You know what, you just shut up! Don't patronise me! What do you know about leadership anyway?"

"Hey, come on. Let's not argue. Play nice." Keiichi smiled weakly at the two men.

Despite stating his opinion, Satoshi did not press on this issue any further. He had enough restraint and awareness to know that arguing with an idiot was pointless. Especially an idiot as stubborn as Marcus Damon, who refused to accept the perspectives of others. It was either his way or the highway. If that man wanted to be the leader, nobody could stop him. Satoshi didn't mind. He believed that actions spoke louder than words. Everybody will see how good of a leader Marcus can be based on his performance in the mission today.

The choice was less political for the women, but it proved to be just as difficult. Nobody willingly stepped up for the role, even though more than a few of them possessed leadership material. Nami, as assertive as she may be, preferred to sit back and observe the first mission from afar. Nodame, the oldest woman in the game, showed no interest as well. Amy may have considered volunteering for a brief moment, but she was always so shy around strangers. As for Chiyo and Ogiue, the thought never crossed their minds at all. They assumed that somebody else will emerge as their leader in due time.

Kaname had no desire to be the female representative as much as the next person. The timing was too early, the situation was too foreign, and she was too annoyed with Marcus to be put in the same role as him. Yet, she waited too long in the airport for the first mission to start, and she did not want to stall time any longer. Thus, guided by her impatience, Kaname decided to volunteer for the position.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it." Kaname said with a small sigh. She hoped she wouldn't regret this decision later.

So, the representatives were chosen for both groups. Marcus for the males, and Kaname for the females. Then, Misty told the two of them to swap places, surprising everyone. Marcus smiled goofily as he stood by the ladies, while the guys were smiling too at Kaname's addition in their group.

"Everyone will be skydiving today." Misty announced. Ogiue and Conway tensed their expressions immediately. "You'll be divided into two planes with the groups you have right now. For every person who jumps, I'll add $1000 into the pot." She turned towards the two representatives. "Marcus and Kaname will be jumping first, but here's the catch. Yes, there's always one."

The players can tell from the mischievous grin on Misty's face there was an unpleasant surprise in the first mission. And they were right.

"The two of you will be skydiving _naked_. No clothes. Nada." Misty continued with her instructions, "Since the stakes are higher, you'll be playing for a larger sum of money. I'll add $10,000 to the pot if one of you jumps and $20,000 if both of you complete the task. Au naturel, of course." The host's smile widened. "If everyone jumps off the plane, you can earn a total of $30,000. Not bad for a day's work, huh?"

Misty waited for the group to respond or cry out in protest, but she was met with an awkward silence. Some people seemed to be snickering silently, while a few others looked mortified on the spot. Nobody spoke though. They didn't know what to say at a time like this. Their first mission entailed skydiving, nudity, and thirty grand into the pot. What a memorable way to begin the competition!

"Anyway, you've half an hour to decide if you want to go through with this mission or not. Good luck." Misty concluded.

The group was still stunned beyond belief. They all expected a skydiving mission, but none of them thought they'd have to do it in just their birthday suits. Suddenly, that confident smile on Marcus' face vanished. And Kaname didn't look too pleased either. Neither wanted to strip naked in front of some strangers they net met before. Even worse, they were put into groups with members of the opposite sex, just to make the situation even more squeamish and uncomfortable. It had been an intentional trap, as both representatives discovered a little too late, and now their courage will be put to the ultimate test.

"Well, I'm glad Kaname is on our plane." Kyon muttered quietly, breaking the ice.

There were some nervous giggles.

* * *

**8:40AM**

* * *

Conway sat in a corner of the room, eyes closed, hands wrapped around his knees. He rocked himself back and forth in an almost rhythmic fashion, as if he was under some sort of trance. He wished he was in a happier place, another place, any other place besides this dreaded airport. The young boy never rode on an airplane before. He couldn't even ride an escalator without his heart pounding a million beats per second. What do they call a fear of heights again? _Vertigo_? No, that was a famous Hitchcock movie. _Pteromechanophobia_? No, that was some ridiculous term he read on Wikipedia. _Acrophobia_? Oh yeah, that was it. Throughout his entire life, Conway struggled with an extreme case of acrophobia, which he was not prepared to overcome during the first mission. He was terrified about the skydiving today – absolutely terrified.

"When you take off your glasses, everything will be blurry." Satoshi told him.

"Yeah, what he said." Harima added, in a rather brisk and blunt manner. "Don't be such a coward."

If only the solution was as simple as taking off his glasses, but Conway's phobia was far more complex than that. The vast sky, the moving plane, and the depthless altitude weren't the only things bothering him. It was the idea of _falling_ that caused Conway the most distress. He hated how he would be falling in midair, losing control over his body, plummeting to the ground and possibly straight into hell. Falling helplessly was a foreign sensation that he had no desire to experience. Even at his young age, Conway was a very cautious and neurotic boy.

However, the others could not empathize with him. They were all so excited about participating in this mission. Well, maybe not Kaname, who stomped into the dressing room still a little pissed off about the whole nudity aspect. But the men were ready. They were more than ready to make the plunge. After all, how many times in their lives will they get the opportunity to jump off an airplane? How likely was it that they will be given this opportunity ever again? Why would anyone want to miss out on this amazing opportunity of a lifetime?

It was just as Harima said. Anybody who did not participate in this mission was a _coward_ – a wimpy, snivelling, unmanly coward.

"I don't think cowardly is the right word to describe this situation." Conway sounded defensive in his excuse. "It's just that my body feels…queasy when I look down from a high place. This isn't like walking down a flight of stairs. We're talking about a couple of thousand feet above the ground!" He lowered his voice to a daunting whisper. "Aren't you afraid we might break our necks and be paralyzed for the rest of our lives?"

"Well, if you put it that way…" Keiichi chuckled.

"Enough!" Harima shouted, slamming his fist on a nearby wall. More specifically, it was a wall adjacent to Kaname's dressing room, which caused the poor girl to shriek in fright. "We aren't on the plane yet and you're already a mess! Get a hold of yourself, Conway! Be a real man! Grow some frickin' balls!"

"My balls have _nothing_ to do with my fear of heights!" Conway retorted. It took him a couple of seconds to realize that he uttered something completely nonsensical, but by then it was too late to retract his words.

"Man, this conversation just took a nosedive." Kyon muttered to himself.

And this was how Conway ended up in a corner by himself, wallowing in self-doubt and worrisome thoughts. Per his request, the others respectfully left him alone, but that did not mean they supported his decision. Conway tried to evade their disapproving glances. It was no use, however, since he already felt like he disappointed the group. The peer pressure was getting to him. He didn't want to let his team down. He didn't want them to think he was useless right off the bet. He didn't want anybody to distrust him in the upcoming missions.

At his age, Conway felt rather inexperienced about life compared to everybody else. On one hand, he would love to step out of his comfort zone and expand his horizons. There won't be many adventures like these in the future, if ever again. On the other hand, he just couldn't get the fear out of his psyche. _Heights, bad! Jumping, bad! Skydiving, very bad!_ Then, he had to worry about the mission itself. He might not be competing for a big sum of money, but quitting a mission wasn't the best way to build first impressions. What to do, what to do, what should Conway do?

"Hey there, don't get worked up about it."

When Conway looked up, he felt surprised that it wasn't the voice of an angel as he originally envisioned. Instead, the pleasant words came from none other than Keiichi Morisato – gentle voice, gentle smile, and gentle guy. Sensing a person in distress, the twenty-one-year-old college student walked over to the young boy and offered him some comforting advice.

"Do what feels right in your heart. Don't let the others pressure you." Keiichi smiled as he gave Conway's shoulder a light squeeze. Truth be told, he was using every old cliché in the book, but nobody ever said that his advice had to be original. "If you aren't comfortable with jumping, then don't do it. Simple as that."

"But I don't want to let anyone down." Conway sighed.

"The decision is yours. Don't worry about what anyone thinks of you." Keiichi said in a calm and pleasant manner. "They jump, that's their problem. You just deal with what _you_ feel."

What did Conway feel at the moment? There was a chaos of emotions going through his head right now. Fear, most prominently. He also felt a sense of dread lingering within him. Yet, underneath it all, there was pride. This mission was turning into an issue between him and his ego. Conway didn't want to feel like a weakling, a pushover, a coward. He did not seek nor care about the approval of others. What he wanted was to prove something to himself. He wanted to prove that he was strong, he was capable, and he was a risk taker.

In this mission, Conway wanted to prove that he was a real man – a man who may pee his pants while skydiving, but still a man nonetheless.

"You know what? I think I'll give it a try. Why not?" Conway flashed his companion a weak smile. Somehow, he managed to find the right motivation to skydive during this short conversation. "I feel like I need to do this, or I'll be disappointing myself."

"If that's what you want, then go for it." Keiichi smiled back.

"Plus, a naked woman sounds like an alluring incentive, heheheh." Conway said with a slight chuckle. He was proud to admit that his motivations had not been entirely wholesome.

"Yeah, I guess there's always that aspect…" Keiichi's smile weakened a little.

On the other side of the room, Harima cast a suspicious glare at Conway and Keiichi's direction. He couldn't hear the conversation that transpired between the two men, but he had reasonable doubt that Keiichi might be up to no good. It wasn't because the college student had an unfavourable reputation. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Keiichi was known as the quintessential nice guy of the group, charming everyone with his harmless smiles and benign attitude. But while most nice guys finished last, sometimes they can be the Mole too. Harima understood that just because somebody was friendly, it did not exempt them from all suspicion.

So, he decided to give Keiichi a little _warning_.

"HEY!!! You better not talk him out of it!" Harima hollered. As an afterthought, he added, "I'm watching you!"

"Keiichi was consoling me!" Conway jumped to his companion's defence.

"Like hell I'll buy that excuse!" Harima snapped back.

Feeling somewhat confused, Keiichi laughed at the remark instead of responding back. He patted Conway on the shoulder one last time before he got up and walked away. Then, all of a sudden, he froze in his tracks. He could hear the dressing room door opening behind him. Keiichi turned around, not intentionally, but he wouldn't have regretted it even if he did.

Because Chidori Kaname, wrapped in a teensy little white towel, was definitely meant to be a head-turning sight.

She blushed at first, how could she not? She even felt a little flattered. All of the men stopped what they were doing and turned their curious gazes towards her. Some immediately looked away, but there were a few who continued to gawk at her with bewildered eyes. And who could blame them? She was such a gorgeous girl with her creamy white skin, curvy physique, and those long slender legs. Can a man be faulted if he wanted to enjoy this mesmerizing view for just another moment?

Apparently yes.

In a seemingly innocent voice, and with the sweetest of smiles on her face, Kaname said to the men:

"Look at me for one more second, and I swear to god I'll rip your eyes out."

* * *

**8:50AM**

* * *

Ogiue decided that she won't jump out of the airplane.

It was a done deal. She apologized profusely for her lack of courage, but the young college student knew there was no way she can go through with the mission. Call her a coward, call her a saboteur. Ogiue knew herself better than anybody else. She knew she just couldn't conquer her number one fear of heights. And for the most part, her team members were incredibly understanding about her predicament. Perhaps the group lacked a vocal dissenter like Harima, or an empathetic motivator like Keiichi, but none of the women seemed too concerned that Ogiue was not skydiving. In fact, they consoled her with smiles, hugs, and pats on the back. They didn't push the issue too much. After all, nobody should be forced to do anything unwillingly, right?

"Sorry…" Ogiue muttered, hanging her head in shame.

"You don't need to apologize to us." Amy spoke in a soothing, soft-pitched voice. "If you're uncomfortable, nobody is going to force you to skydive. Money isn't everything. We have plenty of other opportunities to win some in the future." She flashed a gentle smile. "Please don't worry about it!"

Then, Chiyo did the same thing.

The youngest contestant followed Ogiue's example and also decided that she wasn't in the mood for skydiving today. She was not the biggest fan of airplanes. Plus, she had absolutely no desire to be on board with a _naked_ man. It was a reasonable, if somewhat childish, objection considering the source. Chiyo was so young and innocent and oh-so-precious. Never mind the fact that she was much more worldly than she lets on, everybody thought the little girl must be protected from any corruptive influences. So, the group agreed it was for the best if Chiyo backed out of the mission as well.

"I feel terrible for letting the group down!" Chiyo's lips quivered. She looked as if she was on the verge of tears.

"You haven't disappointed anyone, Chiyo. No one is blaming you. We all understand." Amy smiled again. Whenever she spoke, she never once lost her grace, her serenity, and most importantly, her patience. "What's important is that we keep a positive attitude. As long as we try our best, whether we succeed or fail, that's what counts in the end!"

_But she didn't try at all!_

As much of a straight-shooter as Nami could be sometimes, she didn't verbalize her thoughts on this occasion – although it was tempting, very tempting to give these people a piece of her mind. She felt immensely frustrated with how the mission was progressing so far. In short, Ogiue and Chiyo were both _quitters_. Whether the reason was a fear of heights or a fear of naked men, the results were still the same. They lost $2000 already because two people refused to do the mission. And in Nami's opinion, that was just unforgivable.

The worst part, however, was Amy Mizuno. She actively supported these quitters with meaningless flattery and tedious consolation, almost as if she was praising them for doing squat in the mission. She was just the type of person who would give out those useless participation awards in a competition (except Ogiue and Chiyo didn't even bother to participate). And she was just the type of person that infuriated Nami the most.

"Amy is my polar opposite." Nami would later state in her video confessional, "I predict the two of us won't be getting along."

Nami had promised herself not to make any enemies on the first day, which was the reason why she bit her tongue so many times in the last fifteen minutes. She didn't want the group to turn against her already. Still, it was difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. Nami couldn't refrain herself from letting out a sarcastic quip every now and then.

"Well, that's $2000 gone right there. We're off to a great start." Nami rolled her eyes. "At least the rest of us are jumping."

Perhaps she spoke too soon. At that moment, Marcus walked out of the dressing room, clad in only his underwear. He was one layer of clothing away from the full monty, but the young leader was having second thoughts about the task. He had no qualms about the skydiving part, but he wasn't so sure about stripping buck naked in front of five cute girls. He wasn't comfortable with the nudity aspect, period. What would his friends and family think about this? What if the video footage leaked to the Internet? What if the weather outside was extremely cold?

"Hey girls…" Marcus began, but he was immediately interrupted. Chiyo squeaked at the sight of the man in his underwear. She turned around, blushing like crazy. Ignoring her reaction, he continued, "I'm not comfortable doing this, ya know?" Marcus rubbed his neck. He hoped they'd understand. "Naked skydiving is weird. I don't want to expose my junk to the whole world."

"Are you chickening out?" Nami asked.

"I want to do the skydiving! I'd do the skydiving bit in a heartbeat!" Marcus argued vehemently, "I'm just not ready to do it…naked…and in front of all you women."

_Un-believe-able!_ Nami was on the verge of snapping out loud. This was their third quitter, not to mention it was a full grown adult man to boot.

When Ogiue and Chiyo backed out of the mission, Nami remained passive because losing $2000 didn't seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Whatever. The group can earn that money in another mission. Marcus, on the other hand, was playing for ten times the amount of everybody else. So, quite understandably, Nami felt unenthusiastic about supporting his decision to quit. Besides, wasn't he the one who proclaimed his love for thrills and adventures earlier? What changed his mind from then to now?

"It just doesn't feel right." Marcus added, shaking his head.

"Will it help if we get naked too? So that Marcus doesn't feel alone?" Nodame suggested.

Amy and Nami simultaneously whipped their heads around, glaring at the pianist, as if to silence her. They didn't like her idea for obvious reasons, since they'd earn the same amount of money whether they participated in the mission naked or not. If there was a choice, both women preferred to keep their clothes and dignity intact.

"I'm not comfortable with being naked around other women." Marcus sighed and shook his head again. He was too preoccupied with himself to take advantage of the situation.

"There are lots of cameras around as well." Nami reminded him, quite cheekily. "Don't forget the cameras and the adoring public."

"Nami! Don't say things that discourage him!" Amy frowned a little.

"I'm not discouraging the guy. I just want him to realize the full consequences of his actions."

"But you're making him scared!"

"I'm not scared! Just uncomfortable!" Marcus interjected.

"Come on. Don't be such a girl. Show us your balls." Nami was grinning.

"I think I hate you." Marcus turned away.

Throughout this whole exchange, Ogiue didn't add a single word. In fact, she wasn't paying any attention to the conversation at all. She was too busy enjoying the guilty pleasure of staring at Marcus in all (or most of) his glory. Unlike the other women, she was quite comfortable with the sight of naked men, given her perverse interest in _yaoi_. A naked man? Pfft. Been there, saw that, and even sketched a few of them in her college art classes. Too bad Ogiue already said she wouldn't participate in the mission, because Marcus had a _really_ buff body. She could look at him all day long.

_I'm a disgusting girl._ Ogiue thought to herself, blushing immensely. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder how Marcus' manhood will compare to her boyfriend's. She knew her yaoi experience will be enriched if she had a better understanding of the male anatomy. Now, she was feeling curious. She really wanted to see _it_. She was even able to overlook her fear of heights since she was so eager to see her object of desire.

As innocent as Ogiue looked, this yaoi fan can have a very _dirty_ mind.

While one woman's thoughts turned to the gutter, another's imagination ran wild in a different direction. Nodame, the bubbly and free-spirited pianist, had always been a very creative person. Her earlier suggestion, getting everybody on the plane to strip naked, was struck down as promptly as it was brought up. That setback, however, did not stop her from thinking of other ways to complete the mission.

"What if…" Nodame had a slight twinkle in her eyes. "What if Marcus is the only person who skydives? What if the rest of us don't accompany him on the plane?"

Nami glared at the pianist again, but this time she was the only one. Amy was actually contemplating the idea in her head. It seemed realistic and practical. This way, Marcus will feel comfortable enough to do the mission. Sure, they'd lose $5000 if none of the women skydived, but it was better than losing $10,000 if the lone man opted out instead. The group can sacrifice a little money for the greater good. Under the given circumstances, this was the optimal solution for everybody. Thus, Amy nodded her head in approval.

"Marcus, if it makes you feel more comfortable…" Amy began.

_Oh hell no!_

"Hold on, I object!" Nami waved her arm in the air to get everybody's attention. She could predict how Amy was going to finish the rest of her sentence. "I don't know about Marcus, but _I_'d like to do the skydiving, thank you very much! I won't just wait here and let him have all the fun!"

"We're trying to maximize our winnings!" Amy argued.

"Look, Marcus can still skydive if he wants to. He just has to do it _naked_." Nami smirked. She couldn't hold back anymore. So much for not making any enemies on the first day. "But I'm not going to let him ruin my experience. I really want to skydive! I won't get another opportunity like this again!"

Amy bit her lips. She thought the group finally thought of an ideal arrangement for everyone, but Nami was unwilling to compromise. It was actually quite funny from an objective point of view – Marcus refused to get on the plane, while Nami refused to get off the plane. _If only they could swap places!_ Amy bit her lips even harder. That would have been the best solution for everyone, but alas.

"I don't want to force you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable." Amy turned to Marcus with a soft sigh. "But I don't have any better ideas. The best I can offer you is a promise. I promise you that we won't peek. We'll all close our eyes. We won't look at anything."

"Or maybe there's nothing to look at." Nami added.

Marcus shot her an annoyed glare. This impish looking woman was quickly getting on his shit list with her snippy remarks.

"Nami!" Amy scolded, "Whose side are you on? You're acting like you don't want us to win the money!"

"Hey, at least I'm participating." Nami shrugged her shoulders. At least she was doing more than Chiyo or Ogiue in this mission. At least she was willing to skydive.

"Gimme a few more minutes to think about it." Marcus said in a dejected voice as he walked back into the dressing room. As his friend Yoshi would say, this was the worst. Oh, how he wished he was on the other plane! With the beautiful, and possibly naked, Kaname Chidori…

* * *

**8:54AM**

* * *

While Marcus was still mulling over his decision, Nodame stepped aside to record a one-on-one confessional with the producers.

"Hellooo~" Nodame smiled as she sat in front of the camera. The production crew smiled back. They all adored her. She had a way of endearing herself to people in her special, quirky way. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. Should I just start…babbling?"

At twenty three years old, Nodame was one of the oldest contestants in the game, even though she did not necessarily act her age. She was 'an immature child trapped in an adult woman's body', as her boyfriend would say. In her spare time, the pianist liked watching children's cartoons and playing video games. At one point, she even wanted to be a kindergarten teacher before she settled into a music school overboard. With all due respect, most people would agree that Nodame was not the most _normal_ girl. Growing up, she had always viewed the world a little differently from everybody else. She liked to think outside the box, and it was for this reason why she got the first confessional in the competition.

"Hi Nodame, we're going to ask you a couple of questions, okay? Just relax and be yourself. You'll do fine." One of the producers explained.

Nodame gave him a thumbs-up gesture, signalling the question period to start.

"So, what did you think about the first mission?"

"I think you just wanted to see some skin." Nodame deadpanned, "I think y'all are a bunch of perverts, am I right?"

"Umm. Please, Nodame, please stay on topic." The producer, who looked embarrassed, did not know how to respond to that shockingly bold accusation. He tried his best to clarify the meaning, or at least change the awkward subject. "I'm asking you about your opinions on your fellow _contestants_ in this mission."

"Oh."

She thought about her answer for a while. After spending the last half hour or so together, Nodame developed her fair share of opinions about the other players, which she was glad to share with the cameras. Unsurprisingly, she turned her attention towards the man who stood out the most. Marcus Damon, the only man in the group, had already caused a few waves here and there since the game began. First, he got involved in a heated debate with Satoshi. Then, he contemplated quitting in the first mission. The fact that Marcus was so loud, brash, and aggressive made his presence even more prominent. How could anyone not notice him?

"Marcus might be the Mole." Nodame began her answer with another daring accusation. She was not one to hold back with her words. "Well, I sure don't envy his position right now. I can't imagine how I'd feel about stripping naked in front of so many strangers." She paused. "But then again, I think he made a big fuss over nothing. He's a guy, he looks pretty in shape, so I don't understand why he has anything to hide. He's the last person I'd expect to be so…shy about nudity. I dunno. It seems suspicious to me."

Another player who stood out was Ogiue. She rested on the opposite end of the spectrum. Quiet, meek, and passive; this girl barely spoke more than a few words thus far. Nobody would have noticed her if she wasn't the first person to quit the mission. Since then, Nodame kept a close eye on Ogiue. The quiet ones were always the most suspicious.

"Ogiue is afraid of heights, or so she says." Nodame rubbed her chin in a thoughtful manner. "My senpai is also afraid of airplanes, and I know first-hand it's a fear that you can't really fake. She looked genuinely terrified at the prospect of skydiving, but I dunno. I can't say how good her acting skills are…"

Nodame let her voice trail as her mind wandered elsewhere. She couldn't talk about one quitter without mentioning the other.

"Chiyo didn't participate either, but she's not on my radar for some reason. May be it's because she's the youngest, so she gets a free pass in all the missions. I think that girl can get away with murder using those puppy dog eyes." Nodame squealed. "She's just tooooo adorable!"

"Wait, let's backtrack for a bit. You mentioned something about your senpai earlier. Who is he again?" The producer asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Nodame grinned. Without missing a beat, she replied, "He's the father of my six future children. Four girls and two twin boys. All musicians, of course."

"Nodame, you don't actually have any kids."

"Ah, it's all in due time! I'll get knocked up soon! A girl can dream, right?"

"Um, okay then…"

Her boyfriend, her precious Chiaki-senpai, wouldn't have completed this mission even if they paid him a million dollars. Nodame was always the free-spirited one in their relationship. The bold one. The daring one. The one who was eager to try new exciting adventures. The one who was willing to jump out of an airplane from thousands of feet above the ground.

"Anyway, let's get back on topic." The producer cleared his throat. "What about Amy and Nami? Did you sense any tension between those two?"

"They're like complete opposites." Nodame said, nodding her head to herself. "Amy is so kind and polite, but you know, she was sort of _enabling_ the quitters. Like, she didn't persuade any of them to do the mission." She paused. "And Nami, well, she's even worse. She was discouraging Marcus with those snarky comments. I mean, she could've kept her opinions to herself. It wouldn't have hurt anyone if she kept her trap shut. But nooo, she had to verbalize her feelings anyway." Nodame laughed a little. "I thought both of them were acting strange in the mission. Actually, everybody was acting a little corky today. Even me."

The producer then asked her if the Mole was at work during the first mission. She replied 'yes' without any hesitation.

"Yep, I believe there was some shady sabotage from the Mole!" Nodame's big doe eyes widened as she spoke. "I hope it's not too early, but I think the people in my group are all suspicious. Every single one of them. I just don't know who is the guiltiest yet."

On the first day, Nodame effectively narrowed down the field to five suspects: Amy, Chiyo, Marcus, Nami, and Ogiue. Somebody in this group had to be the saboteur.

But who could it be?

* * *

**11:22AM**

* * *

Here was Kaname, sitting in a small private jet, completely buck naked. She was accompanied by her five male team members, all of whom had their eyes closed, and with their backs facing the naked beauty. The men were under strict orders that if they so much turn around to take a glance, something very _terrible_ will happen to them. Something that they will regret for the rest of their lives...for whatever amount of time they remained alive anyway.

"Parachute or not, I will throw you off the plane. I will _murder_ you if I catch any of you looking. Got that?" Kaname warned.

"Yes ma'am." The men mumbled in unison. She didn't sound like she was kidding.

When Kaname signed up for this game, she never imagined a scenario where she would willingly strip naked in front of five guys she never met before. But for the sake of $10,000, this gutsy high school student was prepared to check her pride out of the door. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything to be ashamed about. Among the consensus from the men, Kaname was easily the most attractive girl in the game. Beautiful blue hair, vibrant face, infectious smile, smoking body, long athletic legs...this girl had the whole package.

"Are you ready?" A production assistant asked her.

"Yeah. Let's do this!" Kaname nodded her head.

The high school student slowly made her way to the edge of the plane. She took a deep breath when she realized how high up in the air she was. Twelve thousand five hundred feet from the ground, to be precise. Yikes. Kaname had been so concerned about the nudity aspect that she didn't take into full consideration that she was jumping off a frickin' plane! That sure straightened out her priorities. It wasn't until she actually peered down below that Kaname realized she could possibly be plummeting to her death. Dead at the age of seventeen. The good ones always died young.

Kaname shook her head slightly, ridding herself from these morbid thoughts. She had gone too far into the mission already. She already took off her clothes, got on the plane, and had all the equipment – as well as her personal jumpmaster – attached to her body. It was definitely too late to call it quits now. Kaname reassured herself that she had nothing to worry about. Earlier, she had gone through a vigorous training session where they taught her the basics of skydiving. She watched the videos, learned the techniques, and had a personal guarantee from her instructor that nothing will go wrong.

"This is going to be fun." She smiled. Better focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

"Good luck, Kaname!" One of the men shouted from behind.

"Thanks, guys."

After some last minute instructions, where she was reminded to concentrate on her breathing and when exactly she should release her parachute in case of an emergency, Kaname was ready for the dive. That was when her senses all kicked in at once – the loud buzzing sound of the plane engine, the gagging smell of the fuel, the horrifying sight of the heights below. Oh. My. God. She was really going to do this. In a matter of seconds, she was actually going to jump off a plane.

"On a count of three..."

_One._

Kaname whispered a quick prayer under her breath.

_Two._

She thought about Sousuke, and what he would say if he saw her now.

_Three._

Kaname made the leap.

The men knew from her terrified yet jubilant scream that Kaname had just won them ten thousand dollars.

"Is she gone yet?" Keiichi asked a few seconds later. He still had his eyes closed, just in case.

"Yeah, she's gone. You guys can turn around now." Kyon confirmed. One by one, the other men sighed in relief. Including Conway, whose glasses were confiscated by Kaname before they boarded the plane. "We don't have to worry about being killed anymore."

"I didn't think she would do it. She proved me wrong," said Satoshi.

"What a girl." Harima whistled.

"So, now that she's gone..." Kyon turned his attention to his male companions. He wore a slightly sheepish smile on his face. "Who else took a peek?"

Conway was the first to snicker, followed by Harima, and eventually Keiichi. Pretty soon, four of the men burst into guilty laughter. They were in hysterics. Despite Kaname's earlier vehement threats, there was one thing about the male species that she simply could not control. Boys will _always_ be boys.

* * *

**11:27AM**

* * *

Amy greeted her friend with a towel as soon as Kaname arrived at the landing zone, safe and sound. Nodame was there as well, while the others decided to wait at the airport. Kaname unattached her equipment, thanked her instructor, and then wrapped the towel around her body. She grinned excitedly at the other girls.

"Oh. My. God." Kaname laughed. Just that reaction alone can summarize her feelings. "That was amazing!"

If she was asked to describe her experience in one word: breathtaking. It was absolutely breathtaking. Kaname recalled the rush of adrenaline from the moment she stepped off the plane. Sure, she instinctively closed her eyes at first, but once she opened them a few seconds later, that was when she captured the full majestic sensation of flying in the air. She felt the wind, the sky, and the freedom all at once. She felt _liberated_.

"That was the best thing ever. Put me on the plane again! I want to do it again!" Kaname exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You looked like you had a lot of fun." Amy smiled.

"I did!" Kaname's face was beaming. She turned towards her companions and inquired about their experiences. "Your group went already, right? How did it go?"

The other two women exchanged smiles with each other. They, along with Nami, had made the plunge a while ago. It had been as fun as Kaname described. Well, at least the adventurous Nami and the free-spirited Nodame felt that way. As for Amy, she joked about the reason they called it an _once_-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once was a thrilling experience, but she probably wouldn't want to jump off another airplane ever again. She'll save that activity for adventure seekers and actions stars on the big screen. No more skydiving for Amy Mizuno, thank you very much. Once was more than enough.

Unfortunately, three members of their group did not participate, which meant they only added $3000 into the pot as opposed to a whooping $15,000. Kaname's jaw dropped when she heard the news. She could almost understand why Chiyo or Ogiue did not jump, but Marcus? He was the guy who professed his love for all adventures! She was certain that he'd make the plunge!

"He gets into fistfights with dangerous monsters, but he won't show his _buttocks_ to a few girls." Nodame smiled goofily as she said the word 'buttocks'. Hehe. What a funny word. "Hmm, it makes you wonder."

"If there's any consolation, I'm sure my boys are all jumping. Even Conway." Kaname reported.

Right on cue, the women heard a piercing scream in the sky. They watched a distant yellow-and-green figure plummet from the plane. It was Conway, screaming on the top of his lungs, while he enjoyed the best experience of his life. The parachute opened mid-air, but that did not cease his screaming. Conway couldn't help it. These were the screams of genuine terror, the screams of genuine anxiety, and also the screams of genuine _joy_. After all, he overcame his fear of heights during this mission. Conway had every right to scream as loud as he wanted.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Go Conway! Go Conway!" Nodame cheered on the sidelines, pumping her fist into the air.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! HELPME! OHMYGOD! HELPME! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"As I was saying…" Kaname shifted her attention back to the other women. "I didn't think anyone would back out from the mission! Wow!" She shook her head a few times in disbelief. "And Marcus, of all people! What happened to him?"

"He must feel terrible for letting the group down," said Amy.

"Not unless he's the Mole. He's probably laughing his buttocks off and giving high-fives to the producers right now." Nodame looked confident with what she was saying. "Marcus lost the first mission. That sounds like something a good Mole would do."

* * *

**11:33AM**

* * *

Kaname immediately sat down for an interview to capture her feelings on camera. It had been a couple of minutes since she jumped off the plane, but that elated and totally overwhelmed sensation would last for hours to come. Judging from the way she spoke, the high school student was, quite understandably, still on cloud nine.

"Man, I still can't believe I did it! I actually jumped off a plane! A frickin' plane! _Naked_!" Kaname laughed.

She was certain this would be one of the highlights in her journey, although Kaname anticipated even greater adventures to come in the future.

"To be honest, I didn't want to do it at first. I mean, I didn't look forward to being naked in front of five guys and a million cameras. First impressions are really important in this game. I don't want these people to remember me as the 'naked skydiving girl' right off the bet." Kaname chuckled a little. "But my gut tells me, no matter how much time has passed, I'm never going to live this down."

Oh well. Kaname shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Not only was she a gutsy girl, but she also demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship. Her initial embarrassment will turn into a nonissue soon enough.

"I guess I'm the type of person who likes to try everything that life has to offer. After all, I only get to live once. And this is quite obviously an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. C'mon, I'm a high school student! What are the chances of me skydiving in my everyday life? This is a mind-blowing experience! It's why I signed up for the game in the first place. I love trying out new experiences!"

When asked about how the other players will perceive her from now on, Kaname hoped they'll see her as an adventurous girl who will devote herself in all of the missions. Hopefully, they will see her as a motivated team player and a very tough competitor. Hopefully, they will _trust_ her.

"I'm putting my one hundred percent in every mission, because I want to win as much money as possible. Yeah, I'm here for the experience, but the money is pretty good incentive too!" Kaname laughed at the thought of winning up to potentially a million dollars. "And I, like everybody else here, will do just about anything to win the grand prize. After skydiving buck naked, there's nothing in this game that can faze me anymore."

She flashed a determined grin at the camera.

"So…bring it on, Mole! I'm ready for you!"

* * *

**END OF PART 1**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Hello, new readers. Hello again, returning readers. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of _The Mole: Anime Edition 2.0_. The next chapter (Part 2) will be posted two weeks from now, and all subsequent updates will also follow a biweekly schedule. Please feel free to track these updates using the convenient Story Alert system below. Alternatively, you may visit my website for an even more interactive experience.

As a writer, I value feedback from my readers very much. Even the tiniest gesture, such as adding this story to your Favourites list, gives me tremendous motivation. Of course, I would love to hear your thoughts, observations, criticisms, or even conspiracy theories, so reviewing this story is highly appreciated.

Once again, thank you for reading the story. I hope you are ready for a long and exciting journey in the upcoming months!


	2. You Only Live Once, Part 2

**The Mole: Anime Edition 2.0**  
By: Gomamon

_**The Recap:**_

_Twelve strangers met for the first time, and learned that the Mole was not chosen yet. They randomly drew envelopes to determine their roles in the competition, which later led to a heated debate on the authenticity of the draw. In the first mission, each player had to jump out of a plane at over twelve thousand feet above the ground. Marcus refused to skydive naked, whereas Kaname threw all inhibitions in the air and added $10,000 to the pot. Meanwhile, Conway conquered his fear of heights, but Chiyo and Ogiue failed to make the plunge. The current pot stands at __**$18,000**__ out of a possible __**$30,000**__._

- - -

**EPISODE ONE: YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE **  
**(Part 2 of 3)**

* * *

**Day 1 – 1:30PM**

* * *

After a relatively successful first mission, in which nine out of twelve people completed the skydiving, the contestants enjoyed a long, relaxing lunch at the airport restaurant. The group would have liked to travel to another destination, preferably a fancy hotel, but they still had not retrieved their luggage due to a delay between flights. Chiyo was particularly concerned with the whereabouts of her suitcase. It already felt distressing enough to be in a foreign land with a group of strangers, while separated from her friends and family miles away. That suitcase was supposed to embody the connection between Chiyo and her loved ones. That suitcase was supposed to offer her consolation and reassurance. That suitcase was supposed to resemble a piece of home. As such, its current absence caused her a lot of anxiety.

"It's not like I've anything valuable inside my suitcase, but I feel kind of…_empty_ without it." Chiyo admitted sheepishly to a cameraperson. Her lips quivered a little while she spoke. "When you're traveling to an unknown destination, the last thing you want is to lose all of your belongings. It's like losing your identity. And it makes you feel so far away from home. It's a really, really scary thought."

This was not her first time traveling abroad. Chiyo was probably more familiar with airport procedures than anyone else here. She came from a wealthy family that took her on many vacations around the world, so she was used to the occasional mishap with luggage or whatnot. Yet, she never traveled on her own before, and never without the company of somebody she knew and trusted. At the moment, Chiyo felt a little lost, somewhat afraid, and very alone.

"I think I'm experiencing what they call 'culture shock' or something to that effect." Chiyo looked even more flustered than before. "Right now, I'd like to be reunited with my suitcase, check into the hotel, and call it a day."

Chiyo had found it difficult to relax since the game began, and the outrageous first mission didn't help matters either. There was simply too much excitement for this twelve-year-old girl to handle. She may be twelve going on thirteen, and thus approaching her teenage years, but this child prodigy did not feel ready to grow up. Despite her overwhelming maturity and accomplishments, she still thought of herself as a kid. This was evident during the mission today, in which Chiyo's participation was virtually nonexistent. She just stood there, dumbstruck, fussing over a half-naked man in front of her. Everybody else worked hard to earn the money, and there she was, doing nothing.

She felt so young, so foolish, and so incompetent. She felt so out of depth among these adults. She felt like a child playing dress-up in her mommy's clothes. It was the first time Chiyo realized that she wasn't surrounded by strangers. Because _she_ was the stranger herself.

Who was she? What was she doing here? Why did she want to play the game? What did she hope to accomplish? Sadly, Chiyo didn't know the answers to any of these questions, and she was starting to believe that she never will.

"Signing up for this game might have been a mistake. I wish I was back at home and…oh! Oh, there it is!" Chiyo exclaimed, perkily, when she spotted her bright red suitcase on the conveyor belt.

Excusing herself from the video confessional, the young girl ran over to retrieve her suitcase. Unfortunately, the conveyor belt was not designed for a child, nor somebody as vertically challenged as her. She was a little too short, and her suitcase was a little too bulky. As a result, Chiyo struggled to grab onto her luggage until a kind-hearted man nearby gave her a helping hand.

"Here you go." Keiichi smiled as he brought the red suitcase down from the conveyor belt. He seemed surprised at how heavy it was. "Chiyo, do you want me to carry this for you?"

"Nope, it's alright. Thank you, Mr. Keiichi!" Chiyo returned the polite smile.

"Are you feeling okay?" Keiichi didn't know why he asked this question, though he felt an uncanny obligation to do so.

"Yep, everything…is better now." Chiyo nodded.

Nothing was said between them for a while, but their silence felt congenial rather than uncomfortable. He continued smiling at her, while she continued to smile back too.

And in that instant, as if they had reached an unspoken agreement, the two of them understood they were going to become friends.

* * *

**1:32PM**

* * *

If there was one person who can help Chiyo ease into her foreign surroundings, it was Keiichi Morisato.

He was better known as _that_ guy. That nice guy, that smiling guy, that forgettable guy who didn't stand out in a crowd. On first glance, he seemed to be a simple college student who was a bit clumsy, a bit forgetful, and a bit scatterbrained at times. He was not particularly handsome, nor was he particularly intelligent. In fact, compared to everybody else, Keiichi was an unremarkably ordinary person. He was not a child genius, not a talented artist, not an accomplished musician, perhaps a bit of a motorcycle enthusiast, but otherwise, he was just an average, everyday guy. Chiyo liked him simply because he was _nice_.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Keiichi asked again. He watched the young girl struggle to even drag her suitcase across the floor. Yikes. That thing was almost as big as she was. "What did you bring in your suitcase anyway?"

"I need to keep up my grades, so I brought some textbooks from school. You know, for studying when I have free time. My parents wouldn't let me participate in this competition unless I promise them I'll ace my exams," said Chiyo. As a child prodigy, she didn't get into university at the age of twelve based on sheer genius alone. She also put forth a lot of hard work into her studies, which was evident through her stellar grades and numerous scholarships.

"Oh man, now I feel like a bad student." Keiichi chuckled. He, of course, did not bring any of his study materials, even though he was also attending university himself.

"No, you're fine! I'm just a little different, that's all." Chiyo laughed in a self-deprecating manner. "Who wants to study in Cerulean City anyway? This is meant to be a _fun_ experience! We're supposed to _enjoy_ ourselves here!"

May be it was the troubled laugh that tipped him off. Or maybe it was the way she spoke her sentences with such a strained tone in her voice. In either case, Keiichi could sense that the young girl had been under a lot of stress. He did not know what life she led beforehand, nor did he want to pass any unnecessary judgments. Yet, he completely empathized with the child prodigy, who was supposed to spend the best years of her life in an enjoyable fashion, rather than losing herself in between the pages of a textbook. Poor Chiyo. She must feel such a heavy burden on her shoulders. Keiichi could understand her pain, considering that he lived with a young genius himself.

"I hope you don't mind me asking this." Keiichi paused. He was careful about how he phrased the next part of his question. "Chiyo, are you having a good time here? You seem very tense right now."

"Um…"

No.

Not anymore.

Chiyo couldn't put on that brave smile and pretend everything was just peachy. But who can blame her? She was still a child, after all.

The young girl ended up pouring her heart and soul to Keiichi. She talked about how out-of-place she felt during the first mission, about how intimidated she was by the other players, and about how her home seemed so far away when she travelled by herself. These all felt like childish concerns, but Keiichi still listened attentively, nodded his head at times, and interjected several reassuring words during the right moments. He was, if nothing else, a good listener. Sometimes, the best way to console a person was not to offer them meaningless advice, but to simply listen, understand their perspective, and show that you genuinely care about them.

Once she was finished with her confession, Keiichi took some time to collect his thoughts. He said, "I think you're a brave girl for sharing your anxieties with me, which I know is not an easy thing to do. I also think that you should have more confidence in yourself, because you've accomplished so much at your age. You seem really responsible and really focused about your life. Chiyo, believe me, you've nothing to be ashamed of. The best advice I can give you is that I never once saw you as an inferior. You were always an equal in my eyes."

"Th…thank you, Mr. Keiichi." Chiyo nodded her head, smiling.

"No problem. If you need anybody to talk to in the future, just remember that I'm always happy to listen." Keiichi smiled back.

Chiyo found herself blushing, unconsciously. Oh gosh. She never responded well to compliments. Plus, Keiichi had a way of speaking that made her feel so special, as if she was the only girl in the room. She meant this in the most platonic manner possible, and Conway could testify, because the college student was simply a likable guy. Best of all, his affable charm and unintentional charisma came straight from his sincere personality. He would never flatter anybody just to win favour win them. That was one of the best qualities about Keiichi Morisato – there were no pretences with him.

"What did _you_ bring in your suitcase, Mr. Keiichi?" Chiyo changed the subject afterwards, because she wasn't comfortable talking about herself any longer.

"Nothing special. Just clothes and some snacks. My girlfriend did most of the packing for me." Keiichi chuckled. He paused for a moment, and then unzipped the first bag on the front of his suitcase. "Here, I brought a few pictures of Belldandy. She means the world to me."

The woman in the photos was a beautiful brunette with dreamy blue eyes and a gentle expression. Her name was Belldandy, and she was Keiichi's girlfriend for who knows how many years. They seemed inseparable as a couple nowadays. Surprisingly, she was doing the most mundane activities in these photos, such as cooking dinner, folding the laundry, or simply smiling at the camera. Belldandy appeared very ordinary, yet she looked so special at the same time. In any case, she certainly seemed to be a happy woman. She also smiled a lot, just like Keiichi himself.

"Wow, you two look so cute together!" Chiyo gushed.

"Indeed. Your girlfriend is a true beauty. She reminds me of an angelic goddess sent from the heavens." Conway added. The young boy showed up out of nowhere and was currently peering over Chiyo's shoulders. He had a knack for appearing behind people's backs when they least expected him, no matter how creepy that may seem. "No offence, Keiichi, but you're kinda out of her league. Big time. What's she doing with a guy like you?"

"Oh my goodness, she's _gorgeous_!" Kaname chimed in. She was also looking at the pictures over Chiyo's shoulder. "No offence, Keiichi, but Conway is kinda right."

"What are you girls looking at?" Nodame asked. After noticing all the fuss, she tried to wedge herself in between Conway and Kaname so that she can have a better view. "I wanna see! I wanna see!"

The crowd surrounding Keiichi grew larger and larger. He became so embarrassed with the uninvited attention that he put the photos back into his suitcase again. This was never intended to be a show-and-tell. Besides, he didn't feel comfortable sharing his girlfriend with so many prying eyes. As he put away the pictures, the crowd interest also simmered down. Soon, Chiyo and Keiichi were able to resume their conversation again.

"How do you cope being away from home?" Chiyo asked all of a sudden. It wasn't in her nature to be so direct, but there was something very warm and relaxing about Keiichi's presence. She felt so at ease around him. She could talk to him about anything.

"Well, it's not like I won't have any contact with Belldandy here." Keiichi rubbed his chin. "I can still talk to her over the phone, or we can write letters to each other. There's also a little gadget called computers nowadays. But of course I'll miss her, that's why I brought these photos with me!"

"If your girlfriend means so much to you, why are you here? Why are you playing this game?" Chiyo asked.

There was no malicious intent behind her question. Chiyo did not have the capacity to offend anybody with her words. On one hand, she simply asked Keiichi a legitimate and thought-provoking question, which suited her curious personality. On the other hand, she phrased it in such an awkward manner that it could be easily interpreted in the wrong way. So, why did he leave behind his girlfriend anyway? Perhaps he didn't love her that much after all?

To be fair, that question probably sounded better in her head. Chiyo didn't realize how rude it came across until she spoke those words out loud. "I'm sorry, that was incredibly inappropriate of me! Please forget that I asked the question!"

"No, it's fine. I understand what your point." Keiichi was caught off guard for a moment, but he quickly recovered. A gentle smile appeared on his face. "I don't think the notion of home should be represented by a photo, or a suitcase, or any material possessions. Home should be something that's constantly in your heart and in your memories. That's why I'm okay with traveling abroad for a few weeks, because Belldandy will always be on my mind. I think about her even in my sleep." He laughed a little. "Heck, I'm thinking about her right now!"

It was a beautiful answer, or at least Chiyo thought so anyway. For a soon-to-be teenager, she may be slightly more susceptible to cheesy love stories than the average person. Nonetheless, Keiichi addressed one of her main concerns about the game. All along, she saw home as the physical distance between her different locations, but that was a flawed interpretation. Home was not an abstract concept. Home was not a distant concept. Home was not a concept, period. Home was actually what she made of it, what she fondly remembered in her head, and what motivated her to do well in the game. Home was a representation of the love, memories, and emotional bonds deeply rooted inside Chiyo's heart. Thus, home was carried within Chiyo, forever and always.

"Oh _puh_-leeease! C'mon, you two schmucks! You can't be homesick already. The first day isn't even over yet." Kaname sneered. She playfully punched Keiichi on the shoulder. "Well, if there's any consolation, think of us as your _substitute_ family for the time being."

"Yeah, I can be the crazy aunt, and Conway is the annoying little brother!" Nodame added.

"Hey, I'm not annoying!" Conway exclaimed.

Chiyo laughed, out of both joy and relief. She had felt so distressed a few moments ago, but now her worries were quickly fading away. Perhaps her age clouded her initial judgment, because this was the first time she realized that she was surrounded by so many friendly and loving peers. How could she have felt alienated when these people all welcomed her with open arms? Contrary to her earlier assumptions, these people were not strangers, or at least not anymore. She was among players like Keiichi, who would bend over backwards to make her feel at ease. And although it will take Chiyo some more time to readjust to her new surroundings, she started to see a cautiously bright future for herself. She was feeling more and more comfortable in this game.

She felt as if she was jolted awake from a bad dream, and she was meeting these beautiful people for the first time. This was a new beginning for her. This was her true introduction to _The Mole_.

Welcome to Cerulean City. Welcome to her new friends and family. Welcome to her new home.

* * *

**1:54PM**

* * *

Still inside the airport, the contestants were growing restless. They all wanted a change of scenery after a long and exhausting day. At least the skydivers experienced a thrilling adventure, whereas those who didn't participate in the first mission spent a majority of their time at the same location. Poor Marcus had been pacing back and forth, while mumbling to himself in discontent. His journey so far was a total dud. Unlike the others, he did not get that rush of adrenaline from jumping out the plane, which meant he still had a lot of pent-up energy seeking for an outlet. Marcus would like to leave the airport as soon as possible, so that his personal adventure can finally begin.

He wanted another mission. He wanted to travel to another destination. And more than anything, he wanted another chance at redemption.

Fortunately, his opportunity came soon afterwards.

"Good news. There's a shuttle bus waiting outside. We're ready to leave the airport." Misty announced, to which the players gave a collective cheer. "But first, we must address some bad news. Discuss among yourselves and choose _two_ people who will receive severe _punishments_ throughout the day. By punishments, I mean that the luxuries you take for granted will be stripped away from these two players." A devious smile crossed her face. "We may not leave this airport until the group agrees to a unanimous decision."

"What kind of…uh, punishments are we talking about here?" Harima raised an eyebrow.

"For starters, those two players can say goodbye to their suitcases, which will be mailed back to their respective residences." Misty explained, "In other words, they won't have any personal belongings for the rest of this competition."

"WHAT THE FU-"

"Y…you can't take away our suitcases!"

"What the hell are we gonna do without any clothes!?"

Misty predicted there would be some outrage when she made the announcement, but she never expected _this_ level of backlash. The contestants just started talking at once, and their loud voices drowned out each other's protests. These punishments were obviously an unpopular idea, which meant the producers did their jobs right. Even on the first day, they wanted to put the players out of their comfort zones, so that the game's atmosphere would always seem stressful and intense.

"Excuse me, but what exactly are the other punishments?" Amy asked. She had to raise her voice in order to be heard over the group.

"You'll find out over the course of the day. Let's just say we prepared some nasty surprises." Misty winked, but none of the players found the current situation too amusing. "Just to clarify, the punishments will only affect the two chosen candidates. So, only _they_ will lose their suitcases…"

It was around this time when Nami began to panic. She brought not one, not two, but _three_ suitcases in total. Her shoe collection alone made up half of the contents, while her stylish wardrobe occupied the other half. She would have brought even more clothes if she didn't plan on a shopping spree during her time here. She envisioned herself going home with at least six suitcases, and possibly sixty more once she won the moolah. Yes, Nami was a self-professed shopaholic fully immersed into the commodity culture, and she was damn proud of it!

As such, this punishment was her worst nightmare. She couldn't bear the thought of competing without her fabulous clothes, designer shoes, fancy hair products, along with those expensive make-up and accessories. Worst of all, Nami was a likely candidate to be chosen, since she wasn't too popular with the other players. Some of them, like Marcus, still fostered animosity towards her.

At times like these, the quick-witted Nami knew she must act fast and strike the first blow. It was a dog-eat-dog world out there. She had to save her own hide by pinning the target onto somebody else.

"Well, the fairest way is to do a random draw…" Amy began, but she was promptly interrupted.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Nami raised her arm in the air. She did not wait for permission before continuing. "I'm not going to mention any names, you know who you are, but a few people didn't contribute in the mission today. And in my humble opinion, they deserve to be punished more than the rest of us."

"It's not really fair to hold that against them…" Amy argued, but she was cut off once again.

"Nami makes a good point." Marcus, unsurprisingly, spoke over the high school student without any consideration for her feelings. "Real men own up to their failures. I feel pretty crappy for not stepping up to the plate earlier. So, give me the chance to redeem myself. I'm willing to take all punishments thrown my way!"

That seemed like a noble gesture, but it did not go without suspicion. While Marcus volunteered so he could right his past wrongs, some players were hesitant to elect him as a representative again. They trusted the guy once and he failed them miserably. Could the group rely on him once more? Could they afford to make the same mistake twice?

"In this game, everything happens for a reason." Satoshi stated this in a matter-of-fact manner. "I believe there's another layer to this task. Why else would they suddenly punish us if there isn't an ulterior motive involved somehow? We have to look at the big picture. We can't make this decision too hastily."

"Uh, I don't get it." Conway lifted his glasses, confused.

"There's more to this task than meets the eye." Satoshi elaborated on his theory, "What if not all the punishments are bad? What if these punishments turn into rewards somewhere along the way? What if there's a connection between the punishments and the money in our pot?"

"But that's all speculation though…" Conway didn't sound convinced.

Satoshi, always the analytical thinker, presented some legitimate concerns. Yet, given the lack of information, nobody knew whether he was right or wrong. May be this was just a silly stunt meant to manufacture conflict within the group, which was commonly done in reality television programs. Or perhaps the producers wanted to mess with their heads early, simply because they could. Thus, under these circumstances, the group caved in to Marcus' offer. He was a willing volunteer, whereas nobody else wanted to lose their suitcases on the first day. So, the general consensus was – why not? Why not give the guy a chance to redeem himself? Why not let him take the fall instead?

"So, it's decided then! I won't disappoint you guys!" Marcus clapped his hands together.

"If you want to play the hero, who are we to stop you?" Nami paused for a moment before adding, "If only _some_ people would follow your lead."

No names were mentioned yet again, but the implicit message was loud and clear. Because from the moment Nami opened her mouth to speak, Ogiue and Chiyo were involuntarily thrown into the hot seat. All eyes were, suddenly, and perhaps unconsciously, turned towards the two girls who did not participate in the first mission. They didn't earn any money this morning, and by that logic, they deserved to be punished more than the rest of the group.

Ogiue knew she was never going to volunteer. She won't give up the large collection of manga inside her suitcase no matter what. So, she simply kept her head down during the group discussion, hoping that nobody would notice the quiet, inconspicuous girl in the background. It didn't work so far, but Ogiue had a stubborn streak. She will not easily compromise her beliefs.

On the other hand, Chiyo was almost on the verge of tears. Deep down, she and her guilty conscience could understand the opposing argument. She even supported it from a certain moral perspective. After all, her parents had raised their daughter to be an altruistic young lady who put others' self-interests ahead of their own. By all means, Chiyo should have followed Marcus' example by taking the dignified high road. She should have accepted responsibility over her earlier actions. She should have surrendered her luggage, and she almost did so too.

Yet, the young girl felt reluctant to part with her beloved suitcase. This item meant so much to her, physically, emotionally, and symbolically. She needed to carry these precious mementos from home so that she can feel comfortable in the competition. And as much as Chiyo wanted to do the _right_ thing, she wasn't ready to play the role of a selfless martyr.

"I…um, I…" Chiyo stammered. The words rested on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't say them out loud.

"I'll volunteer," said a soft-spoken voice from behind.

Ogiue turned around in surprise, while Chiyo simply closed her eyes and sighed. It was a sigh of relief, but also a sigh of immense devastation. She recognized that voice – that masculine and comforting, that gentle yet reassuring, that voice which radiated so much kindness, more kindness than she was capable of accepting. It was truly the voice of an angel, a saint, and a saviour.

For the second time today, Keiichi Morisato had come to her rescue.

"Are you sure?" Harima asked, uncertainly.

"Yeah, it's a really simple decision. Let's not drag it out any longer." Keiichi laughed.

That might have been the diplomatic answer, but the real explanation lied within the fact that he was a nice guy. Keiichi saw the insecurity in Chiyo's teary eyes, and felt obliged to protect her in a brotherly way. Besides, how could he have forced a twelve-year-old girl to subject herself to these punishments? He just didn't have it in him to act so heartlessly. He also didn't have the heart to watch the other players turn against the innocent child. They were like a pack of vultures, ready to attack her in the worst way possible. So, Keiichi would rather sacrifice his own comforts in order to restore the peace and equilibrium among the group. It was for the best, he assumed.

"Thank you, Mr. Keiichi." Chiyo mumbled, gratefully, as she tried to fight back tears.

"You can thank me too, ya know!" Marcus thumped his chest, looking rather insulted. "He isn't the only do-gooder around here!"

Thus, the two brave volunteers (or 'scapegoats', as Nami would like to call them) were finally chosen. First of all, they needed to hand over their luggage to Misty. Then, Keiichi asked if he could take out the family photos from his suitcase, but he wasn't given the permission to do so. Even when the other players began to protest on his behalf, Misty would not change her stance. And if this was an early indicator of the punishments in store, then neither Keiichi nor Marcus looked forward to the rest of today.

"Now that everything is settled, we can leave the airport at last!" Misty announced.

"Is that all? No more punishments?" Keiichi asked with a hopeful smile.

"Just you wait." Misty shook her head. "I almost feel sorry for you. Boy oh boy, you guys don't realize yet that you've signed up for one _hell_ of a day!"

* * *

**4:43PM**

* * *

During an excruciatingly long bus ride from the airport to their next destination, some contestants became curious about their living quarters for the next several weeks. Will they be living in a fancy hotel, or perhaps a lovely seaside villa? Will their new residence be as mysterious and exotic as Cerulean City itself? Harima, though very imaginative by his own merits, did not get caught up with these outlandish fantasies. He was a simple guy with simple tastes who preferred to live a simple lifestyle. Just give him a bed, and he could make himself comfortable anywhere at his new home.

That was anywhere _except_ for the building currently in front of him.

"Holy smokes."

Harima let out a small whistle when he stepped out of the shuttle bus. It was a surreal sight, to say the least. What he saw was not just any ordinary house, but a massive three-storey mansion surrounded by tall palm trees, a beautiful landscaped garden, and breathtaking view of the ocean. Once an ancient fishing village, this was now the location to a charming summer resort.

A quick tour around the house revealed there were eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, four living rooms, two kitchens, one dining room, one entertainment room, one exercise room, one study room, one swimming pool, and even one massive tennis court outside. And that was just the summary of the _first_ floor. In short, it was the perfect vacation home for an exceptionally affluent family. In this case, it was an extravagant residence for a very fortunate group of contestants. Or in Harima's case, it was an atrocious waste of money and space.

"Holy smokes." Harima repeated again. He flashed a wry grin to the cameras. "Welcome to the life of the rich and famous, where they spend money on crap like…glass chandeliers."

He pointed his finger upwards, prompting a few players to 'ooh' and 'aah' as they marvelled at the ceiling.

"Seriously, this place is ridiculous. We're the only people living here, even though it could hold the population of a small country." Harima was exaggerating of course, but this house was pretty much an exaggeration in itself. "Do those stinkin' rich people spend their money like this?" His mind suddenly strayed towards a certain blonde girl in his memories, but he rid himself of that troublesome imagery. "Damned if I'll ever know."

"Dude, I know what you mean." Marcus was also thinking about a certain blonde from his past. On an unrelated note, he noticed that if he spoke too loudly inside the mansion, he could hear his own echo bounce off the walls. "If I win the money, I'd never spend it so excessively. May be I'll buy myself a nice red sports car, but I won't waste it on this materialistic stuff."

"Whatever. You two just don't know how to enjoy money." Nami scoffed.

"How can this be considered enjoyment?" Harima raised an eyebrow.

Nami took a few quick glances of her new surroundings, while smiling admirably. She replied, "I appreciate some glitter and glamour in my life, that's all."

Despite their differing perspective towards the lap of luxury, almost every player was excited about their new living quarters. They had fun exploring the different rooms and passages, while examining any peculiar items that caught their interest. Amy, for example, was captivated by a spectacular glass aquarium, whereas Nodame almost knocked over poor Chiyo when she spotted a piano in one of the living rooms. It was such a fascinating house, but also a very inconvenient one. Some people had already voiced their concerns about living inside this enormous yet lonely mansion.

"It reminds me of those haunted houses you see in the movies, heheheh. Everything is so big and distanced apart, so you kinda feel alienated from each other." Conway grinned. "I'm expecting a ghost to jump out at us any moment now."

"Ghosts!? What ghosts?" Chiyo asked with bewildered eyes.

"I'm just afraid that I'll get lost finding my way to the restroom," said Kyon.

"We could play a kickass game of hide and seek in here though." Harima added, thoughtfully.

After their arrival, Misty laid out several house rules for the contestants. They were told to stay on the ground floor, because the other two storeys (reserved for the production crew and other guests) were off-limits. As such, some of the players will have to become roommates, with two or three people sharing a communal bedroom and bathroom. They were also instructed to avoid contact with the outside world unless given permission. Telephone calls were limited to five minutes per day, and only possible when monitored by a producer. Internet access was even stricter, since all computers in the study room cannot be touched outside of a mission. Finally, leaving the mansion, alone and unsupervised, was out of the question.

"It's like house imprisonment pretty much," Harima recapped.

"Hey, you signed up for this. Don't complain about it." Misty scolded him. She later added, "In order to reinforce these policies, any contestant that breaks a rule will incur a significant penalty towards the pot. So, watch your actions and obey the rules!"

The players were given some liberties though, such as the freedom to choose their own rooms and roommates. Amy paired up with Kaname, as did Nami and Nodame, while the other players were fortunate enough to occupy their own rooms. Marcus and Keiichi, however, soon learned that they will lose their rooming privileges as part of their second punishment. Instead, they were instructed to camp outside with sleeping bags until the end of the first execution. They were allowed to use the other facilities inside the mansion, but sleeping or even relaxing indoors was considered a rule violation.

"I prefer to sleep on a bed if there's a choice, but camping outside isn't so bad." Keiichi remained optimistic despite the unfavourable circumstances. He looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. "I hope it doesn't rain though."

"The sleeping bags look cozy." Amy offered politely. She was trying to be supportive.

"_Somebody_ sounds like she wanna join us and sleep out here tonight." Marcus said with a cheeky grin. "Ya know, there's enough room in this garden for the three of us!"

"Hmm, your proposition is lovely, but no thank you." Amy giggled.

Neither man seemed too concerned with the second punishment, but Chiyo certainly was. She still felt guilty about what happened this afternoon, when she willingly let another person suffer the punishments in her place. Keiichi had done nothing wrong today. He shouldn't have to lose his suitcase or sleep outside, whereas Chiyo got to rest on a comfy bed without care or worry. Except she did care and she was worried, perhaps too much so, because Chiyo was starting to feel depressed again. Just when she was finding her footing in this competition, the harsh reality struck back at her, and she realized she was still a lost little girl completely out of her element.

Not only did she back out of the first mission, but she also backed out of these punishments that she rightfully deserved. Worst of all, she caused misfortunes to an innocent man who had been nothing but compassionate towards her. If only there was a way she can trade places with Mr. Keiichi. If only there was a way to repay his kindness. If only there was a way to make his life a little easier.

Chiyo would indeed find a solution later tonight, but not without some severe consequences.

* * *

**5:21PM**

* * *

"Hello? It's me."

A bright smile immediately spread across Keiichi's face when he heard his girlfriend's voice over the phone receiver. For a few seconds, he just sat there with his eyes closed as he formed a mental picture of Belldandy. Gosh, she looked radiant even in his vivid imagination.

"No, no, no, no, I'm still here! I can hear you just fine! I dozed off for a bit, you know me." Keiichi chuckled. When she didn't hear her boyfriend's response after a while, Belldandy worried there might be something wrong with the phone signal over a long-distance call. He reassured her that everything was going to be alright, as long as they had each other for company. "So, how are you? Your sisters aren't giving you a tough time, right? I know, I miss you too…"

The two of them spent the next few minutes chatting about anything that came to mind. Keiichi described to her about his initial anxieties on the airplane, because he was admittedly a worrywart who wasn't as well travelled as the other players. And gosh, knock on wood, what if the airplane malfunctioned or something? It was the type of intimate detail he only felt comfortable sharing with his girlfriend. Belldandy knew all of his skeletons, from his deepest fears to his prospective dreams and aspirations. There were no secrets between the couple. They told each other everything. In return, she inquired about his emotional state, his health, if he was experiencing jet lag, what did the meals taste like, and how were the other contestants anyway? And, oh, by the way, what about the…

"Time's up!" Keiichi's accompanying producer motioned towards her watch.

The rules stated that no player was allowed to make a phone call longer than five minutes. Plus, the entire conversation must be monitored throughout. Although it felt awkward talking with a third party nearby, Keiichi understood their strict measures were to prevent a breach of security as well as costly telephone expenses.

"Oh gosh, they're cutting me off in a few moments. I'll call you back tomorrow morning. Take care of yourself, okay? Yep, you too. Hahahaha, I know. I'll remember!" Keiichi thought he wouldn't have the heart to hang up on his girlfriend, but the producer apparently did not share the same problem. "I _really_ need to go now. I love you. Bye."

Keiichi sighed as he put down the telephone receiver. Those five minutes passed a little more quickly than he imagined, and way too quickly for his liking. How could he condense his thoughts and emotions into a conversation that will only last for a short fraction of time? Then again, Keiichi could always call her again tomorrow, and he shouldn't hog the telephone to himself anyway. Chiyo had been waiting patiently beside him, so that she could make a quick phone call to her parents. He wasn't the only person with concerned loved ones.

As he excused himself to another room, Keiichi replayed the phone conversation in his head. There were so many things he couldn't tell Belldandy due to the time restriction, such as the whole suitcase epiphany, although she'll find out in a few days when his belongings were mailed back to their residence. Speaking of which, Keiichi wished he still had his precious family photos in his possession. He forgot to take them out during the moment, and he had been kicking himself for the mistake ever since. He wondered how Belldandy would react if she found out what happened, but of course she'd forgive him, because she loved her boyfriend unconditionally. The real question was could Keiichi forgive himself?

"I miss her so much…" Keiichi would later tell the camera in a video confessional. "Just hearing her voice over the phone receiver isn't enough. It feels so…_distant_. I can't tell if she's happy or sad. And even if she's sad, there is little I can do to cheer her up. I can't hold her hand, I can't see her smile, I can't do anything to make her feel better. That's the biggest problem. I feel like I'm not physically or emotionally available for Belldandy."

He was a devoted boyfriend full and thorough. As cheesy as it may sound, Keiichi wanted to spend every waking moment with the love of his life. He had no desire to leave her behind, but Belldandy was the one who encouraged him to participate in this competition. Not only would _The Mole_ be a wonderful life experience for him, but it could also test the strength of their romantic relationship. Absence made the heart fonder, so the prolonged separation should make them grow stronger as a couple. Belldandy had reassured him that they will move on to the next level in their relationship if they overcome this challenge together.

Yet, the couple had been separated for a little less than twenty four hours, and this was already one of the most difficult challenges in Keiichi's life.

He sighed again. Keiichi felt a little awkward revealing so much raw emotions with the cameras rolling and the producers smiling sympathetically at him. Almost _pitying_ him. Feeling uncomfortable, the college student decided it was time to move on. It was time to change the subject.

"Yeah, as you can tell, losing the suitcase hit me where it hurts the most." Keiichi forced a weak smile onto his face. "But as for sleeping outside, it's not a big deal. If those people can do it on _Survivor_, I don't think camping at a fancy garden is that bad in comparison." He should have stopped speaking then, but the producers baited him to elaborate on the subject. He added, "And to be honest, these punishments aren't really all that impressive."

If this confessional was a cartoon, now would be the moment when the record player that was playing the upbeat tempo song comes to an immediate screeching halt. Say _whaaaaat_?

"Really? You think that little of the game, huh?" One of the producers joked, trying to conceal her surprise behind a thinly veiled smile.

"No, don't get me wrong. This experience has been terrific so far other than a few minor inconveniences. Everything is just great. Great house, great people, great first mission, and overall a great day!" Keiichi laughed. He didn't notice the subtle change in the atmosphere, nor the fact that he was unintentionally digging himself a deeper hole. "I'm having a lot of fun right now!"

And now would be the moment when the record player breaks apart completely.

Behind the cameras, the production crew wasn't paying attention to him anymore. They had stopped listening in order to start plotting. Poor naïve Keiichi Morisato, he was such a straight shooter. What did he hope to accomplish when he said the punishments seemed generally unimpressive? Or that he was having a lot of fun in the midst of his imposed suffering?

Didn't this guy understand the basic rules of reality television?

* * *

**8:02PM**

* * *

Nothing could have prepared Keiichi for his third and final punishment. It happened during the evening, when all twelve contestants were gathered around the dining table for a specially cooked dinner. A professional chef was hired for this occasion in order to celebrate their first meal together as a group. They would each enjoy a standard five-course gourmet meal, with soups, salads, breads, desserts, and of course a nice roasted steak. It would have been one of the most luxurious meals that Keiichi had eaten in his lifetime. But instead, the plate in front of him remained empty throughout the meal.

At first, he thought it was a mistake when he and Marcus did not receive their mushroom soups like everybody else. Then, Misty confirmed the next obvious thought that sprang to mind: they will be receiving no dinner tonight. As what was easily the most sadistic punishment to date, both men were forbidden from eating dinner tonight. Worst of all, they must stay in the dining room until the meal was over, while watching (and smelling) all the delicious food that they were not allowed to eat.

For the most part, the group was respectful enough to consume the meal as quietly and politely as possible. Nami, however, shared a different perspective. She thought the situation was downright hilarious, which was why she teased the men about their misfortunes, such as mentioning how delicious the steak was – a little too loudly perhaps; or asking Marcus if he felt hungry at the moment – a question to which she got no response. Her provocative behaviour eventually offended enough people, and somebody told her to be quiet for the rest of the meal.

"Ohmygod, this baked potato is the best thing I've eaten in my whole life!" Nami exclaimed. Like the rebel that she was, the defiant redhead could never be silenced. The more she was told not to do something, the more likely she would repeat the same offence over and over again. "Ohmygod, the taste is melting in my mouth!"

"I wish that gob of yours would melt off for good." Marcus muttered under his breath.

"Nami, please stop. That's enough." Amy warned.

"What? What did I do?" Nami shrugged her shoulders, feigning innocence.

"You know exactly what you're doing. Can't you be a little more considerate? Don't you think the guys are suffering enough as it is?" Amy was speaking in an uncharacteristically stern voice. She didn't lose her temper often, but she had no patience for people with no manners. "Think about how Keiichi and Marcus must feel right now. Put yourself in their shoes. Is it necessary to rub salt in their wounds?"

"Oh, get off my case!" Nami rolled her eyes. "I was just having a little fun."

"I don't appreciate it when you derive pleasure from other people's misery." Amy frowned.

Nami anticipated some playful and harmless banter across the dining table. What she didn't expect was that she'd be on the receiving end of a lecture, as if she was a naughty, disobedient child who deserved a slap on the wrist. She had not gotten along with Amy since the first mission, when it became obvious that the two girls had polar opposite personalities. One was a natural role model, whereas the other was a born troublemaker. This was a classic battle between the _good_ girl and the _bad_ girl, so it was only a matter of time before they clashed over their different perspectives. However, nobody guessed there'd be a confrontation as early as their first supper together.

"Whoever is offended obviously needs to grow a thicker skin." Nami sneered. The redhead wore an aggravated expression on her face, and she made no attempts to hide it.

"I don't understand your rationale for saying all these terrible things. What exactly are you trying to accomplish with those hurtful words!?" Amy noticed that she had raised her voice, so she paused for a moment in order to calm down. "If you don't have anything nice to say, then please don't say anything."

"It was a joke, Amy! I can't believe you're getting upset over a stupid joke!"

"I don't find your jokes very funny."

"Well, I'm sorry that you have no sense of humour."

"Nami, I'm upset because the guys haven't eaten anything tonight, and you're rubbing it in their faces." Amy narrowed her eyes at the redhead. "That's not very funny to me."

"Look, it's not my problem. I'm not the one responsible for their losses!" Nami scoffed. She almost slammed her fist onto the table, but refrained herself at the last second. "Blame the evil producers. They came up with the idea, not me! As for how I behave, I'm an adult with impeccable judgment about life. So, I don't need anyone to tell me the way I should behave."

The other players sat uncomfortably around the table, observing the fight in progress. Nobody knew if they should interfere or not. Kyon may have made some subtle cat noises to signify the obvious tension in the room, and Conway may have found this argument oddly riveting (perhaps even erotic in his perverted mind), but some people were disturbed by the disharmony within the group. This was their first dinner together, so it didn't seem like an appropriate setting to bicker and forth.

Chiyo, for one, was getting a big headache as she listened to these two women. She was fed up with their petty quarrel. Since the child prodigy was usually the peacekeeper in her circle of friends back at home, she was not afraid to play the same role in this situation either.

"Please, everyone!" Chiyo pleaded. "Please stop arguing! Please don't make this night any worse than it already is!"

She surprised herself with the volume of her voice, and also the fact that she suddenly leapt out from her chair. Chiyo had a tendency to act very intense during the heat of the moment. Nonetheless, her message came across loud and clear. Everybody saw that puppy face, those teary eyes, the quivering lips, and their rage faded away immediately. They were reminded there was a young child in the room. Besides, that girl was too adorable for her own good. How can anyone remain furious after staring at such a _cute_ expression? She looked like a cuddly doll.

"I'm sorry for yelling, but let's…let's just try to get along, okay? Let bygones be bygones." Chiyo said in a much quieter voice this time. She sighed, sounding defeated. "It has been a long day."

"Indeed." Satoshi smirked.

On that note, the argument ceased shortly afterwards. Dinner resumed without much fanfare, other than a few icy glares between Amy and Nami, but poor Chiyo still felt upset about what had happened. Not just the bickering, but everything that had transpired on this nightmarish day. She was abhorred that it was only the _first_ day. If she felt so distraught already, what will be her emotional state a few weeks from now?

Her headache was growing worse. And Chiyo lost her appetite completely. She didn't touch a lot of the food on her plate, which made her feel guilty because some people could not enjoy this luxury. What a detestable and ungrateful little girl she was. If she was just going to sulk throughout the meal, she should have volunteered for the punishments instead of making Mr. Keiichi and Mr. Marcus suffer on her behalf. Chiyo hated herself for being so weak. Oh, how this awful headache was killing her!

"Hey…"

All of a sudden, there was a light tap on her shoulder.

"Chiyo, what's wrong?" Nodame asked quietly. She sat beside the young girl and had just noticed her strange behaviour. "You haven't eaten anything in a while."

"I am not hungry," Chiyo mumbled.

"Darn it, I'm jealous of your small stomach." Nodame grinned. She paused for a moment, analyzed her companion's face, and continued speaking. "I think I know what the problem is. You're still upset because the boys don't get to eat anything, right? C'mon, don't feel bad! It's not your fault!" She paused for a second time. "Gosh, you're a stubborn one. What can I do to cheer you up?"

"It's okay, Miss Nodame, I don't want to trouble you." Chiyo shook her head.

"No trouble at all. I have an idea that will make everything better." Nodame said, but not in the comforting or maternal tone that Chiyo was used to hearing from the other players. No, this voice almost sounded seductive. The pianist seemed a little dangerous, somewhat sneaky, and definitely spontaneous. "If you aren't going to eat your dinner, then those leftovers can serve _another_ purpose. You know what I mean?"

She then whispered something into Chiyo's ears. That seemed to seal the deal. In a matter of seconds, the young girl changed her expression almost instantly. Once sulky and depressed, she was now beaming with joy.

The rest, as they would say, was history.

* * *

**8:58PM**

* * *

After dinner, Keiichi and Marcus retired to their outdoor sleeping quarters. Both of them were starving, but the best way to get over this hunger was to simply sleep it off and wake up to a big breakfast on the next morning. Thus, the two men quickly wished each other goodnight as they tucked themselves into their sleeping bags. Tomorrow will hopefully be a less demanding day.

"Hey, do you smell it?"

"Smell what?"

"Man, I don't know if I'm hallucinating, but there's this weird aroma in the air."

"Now that you mention it, it does kinda smell like steak…"

"No, boys, you're not hallucinating and you're not dreaming either. This steak is not a figment of your imagination." Misty suddenly interrupted their conversation. Both men were startled at the host's presence, but even more surprised that she carried a plate of food in each hand. "Good evening, gentlemen. I understand that you had a pretty rough day. How do you feel right now?"

"I'd feel a lot better if we can eat whatever you're holding!" Marcus chuckled.

"You brought those servings for us, right?" Keiichi asked with a hopeful smile. "Please say yes. Please don't be this cruel to us."

Unfortunately, the producers were capable of such cruelness, or at least they knew how to make exciting reality television programs. They didn't want to give away the food for free, not when there was a far more enticing way to present the offer. Indeed, the word 'offer' described this situation the best, as in Misty was about to make a tempting offer that the men cannot refuse.

"Gentlemen, you now have the opportunity to reverse the punishments, meaning that your suitcases will be returned, you will be permitted to sleep inside the mansion, and dinner will be served." Misty explained. There was a suspenseful pause in between her sentences. "Or for the alternative option, if you turn down my offer, I'll add $10,000 into the pot."

The men groaned in unison. Now, it became clear why the producers inflicted these punishments throughout the day, which were intended to lead up to this ultimate finale, ultimate sacrifice, and ultimate choice. It had been part of an overarching scheme all along. Keiichi and Marcus will now be forced to choose between the money and their creature comforts. Should they sacrifice their own interests in favour of the group? Or should they take back the privileges that were rightfully theirs in the first place?

Marcus was particularly distracted by the food right in front of him, which was clouding his concentration and judgment abilities. Meanwhile, all Keiichi could think about were the missing photos in his suitcase. Those precious family photos. Photos of Belldandy. Belldandy, his girlfriend. The girlfriend that he missed so much. The girlfriend that gave him so much motivation in the game. And those photos could belong to him again, at the price of ten thousand dollars.

Keiichi closed his eyes and shook his head. He must not think about Belldandy right now. He must not feel tempted. This game was cruel. Too sickeningly cruel.

"We made it through the entire day without our suitcases, bedrooms, or dinners." Keiichi said, combating his emotional desires with reason and logic. "If we can survive without these comfort items for so long already, I don't believe this offer will make a difference to our circumstances."

"Yeah, why change our minds now?" Marcus nodded his head.

"On the other hand, I'd really appreciate it if we can get our suitcases back. I want my pictures, and it'd be nice to wear my clothes again. Plus, that steak looks delicious." Keiichi sighed a little. "But I know that's selfish of me. We should do the right thing and add money into the pot."

"Good. 'Cos I don't want to be responsible for losing twenty grand in one day. I'd feel like a big tool." Marcus folded his arms across his chest.

"I won't have a problem either way." Keiichi shrugged his shoulders, "It's your call."

Marcus contemplated about this decision for a while. Should he accept this offer? His stomach said yes, but both his heart and brain were leaning towards no. In a close two-to-one vote, he ended up following his trusty gut instinct. "I volunteered in the first place because I was willing to make personal sacrifices. So, if everything is cool with Keiichi…" He turned towards the hostess with a final answer. "I'd like to confirm that we're turning down the offer."

Keiichi closed his eyes again, but this time he was trying to fight back tears. He felt like a disloyal boyfriend, choosing a small sum of cash over the pictures of Belldandy. How can he stare at her straight in the eyes and tell her that she was forever invaluable to him? Because this was apparently not the case. Keiichi had just attached a price tag to Belldandy, and she came at a cheap price of ten thousand dollars.

He knew he shouldn't think so literally and cynically, but having skipped dinner, even a nice guy like him found it difficult to stay positive. Keiichi was tired, hungry, and more than a little pissed off.

Meanwhile, Misty pursed her lips, looking somewhat disappointed with the decision made. What could have been a very controversial choice ended without much drama, or at least none that was taped on the cameras. The men, to their credit, rationalized their thought processes and picked the altruistic choice. As a result, they successfully added $10,000 into the pot, but their punishments will remain as they were now – no suitcases, no beds, and no food.

"Congratulations," Misty said with a faint smile. She bid the men farewell and goodnight.

After her departure, the delicious aroma of steak still lingered in the air for some inexplicable reason. At first, both men thought it must have been their imaginations, or at least they were being delusional due to a lack of sleep and food. But then, another unexpected visitor showed up. But then, everything was explained. But then, the night will never remain the same again.

"Hey," Chiyo whispered as she discreetly approached the men. They were about to tell her about the good news, but she held up an index finger over her lips. As soon as Keiichi and Marcus identified what she held in her hands, they understood the reason behind this visit, because Chiyo had brought them a full plate of food that she smuggled from dinner earlier. "Promise me this will remain a secret between us…"

It took three seconds for Keiichi and Marcus to thank the generous young girl, three minutes for them to wolf down the food as quickly as possible, and approximately three hours before the so-called secret was exposed by the producers.

* * *

**11:45PM**

* * *

Misty called for an emergency meeting near midnight, which was not received well by the contestants. As they entered the living room in various degrees of grogginess, with some of them dressed in their pyjamas or otherwise, nobody understood why the hostess summoned them at such a late hour. All will be explained in a few minutes, but for now, the players were mostly itching to go back to bed.

Chiyo had a bad feeling in her gut right away, but she ignored it for the time being. Surely this was a coincidence. Surely this meeting was not related to her actions a few hours ago.

"Good evening. I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, but we've an urgent matter on our hands." Misty spoke in her schoolmistress voice, sounding as if she was about to give a stern lecture. "Let's start from the beginning. Earlier tonight, I gave Keiichi and Marcus the opportunity to reverse their punishments, or they could add $10,000 into the pot. They chose the money, which means you're all a little richer now."

The players gave a jubilant round of applause for the good news. Misty waited patiently until the noise died down before she spoke again.

"However…"

_Uh oh._

Chiyo let out a tiny gasp. She knew she was in trouble from that moment onwards.

"We just discovered that something else took place tonight." Misty folded her arms across her chest. She may have even made a soft 'task, tsk' sound under her breath. "Our hidden cameras captured footage of somebody sneaking in food for Keiichi and Marcus. As you know, this is against the rules, because I clearly indicated that they were forbidden from eating dinner tonight." She turned her head towards a certain twelve-years-old girl, whose eyes sank to the ground. "Chiyo, would you like to confess your crime, or do you want me to show the video clip instead?"

Chiyo squirmed. She felt too petrified to speak. Earlier tonight, she had saved a large portion of her dinner and smuggled these leftovers to the men. At the time, the young girl thought she was doing the right thing. She never expected her act of kindness would be interpreted as a violation of the rules.

"I'm really sorry, you guys." Chiyo muttered in a very meek voice. She refused to make eye contact with anyone. "I didn't know it would turn out like this."

"In her defence, she was concerned about our well-beings," Keiichi added.

"Anyway, I must issue a penalty to the group." Misty frowned, "Since this is your first warning, I'll only deduct $5000 from the pot. Every additional penalty from now on will rise in increments of five thousand dollars, which means your second violation will cost you $10,000. But hopefully, this won't happen again." She paused for a contemplated moment. "Your kitty now stands at $23,000, which is slightly less than what it could have been."

There was an awkward silence afterwards.

"Meeting adjourned. Have a good night," said Misty.

The notion of a 'good night' was quite laughable, considering that tonight was ruined for nearly all the contestants. Nobody was laughing though, and certainly not the guilty parties involved. Just when they thought some money could be added into the pot, half of it was taken away due to a silly human error. Both Keiichi and Marcus looked shaken up about what just happened, while Chiyo appeared downright miserable. She was so tired, so weak, so drained. She wondered if this emotional rollercoaster of a day will ever end. The young girl soon excused herself from the group, but not without a chorus of overly supportive words from her fellow competitors, which somehow made her feel even worse.

"Oh, you poor thing…"

"Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault…"

"Just remember that we still support you no matter what…"

To her credit, she maintained a strong façade until she was a fair distance away from everybody else. Then, the young girl began to run like no tomorrow. Run, run, run like the wind, run like she didn't have a care in the world, run straight into her bedroom where she locked herself inside. She closed the door, pressed her back against the wall, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

And then, only then, in the solitude of her private haven, Chiyo Mihama finally began to cry.

* * *

**END OF PART 2**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Part 2 is the first of several character-centric chapters in the story. You may have noticed that Chiyo and Keiichi were the main focus for almost every section, which hopefully enriched their characterizations. This is a new writing style for me, because I'm used to dividing the spotlight as evenly as possible. Anyway, there will be more balance in Part 3, so that you have a better understanding of each character.

Thank you to everyone who read the story so far. Your input has been very motivating, whether they come in the form of reviews, private messages, guestbook comments, or even adding this story to your favourites list. I will probably repeat this every chapter, but I appreciate your support tremendously and I look forward to hearing even more from everyone!


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